Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has decided to discontinue a controversial emergency Garda roster introduced to police during Covid-19 and revert to the previous roster.
The emergency Covid-19 roster has been an ongoing source of discontent within An Garda Síochána because the Commissioner extended its use fifteen times.
However today's decision has been strongly criticised by the Garda Representative Association which said the reasoning behind it "lacks logic."
Commissioner Harris' efforts to introduce a new roster resulted in sergeants and inspectors protesting at Garda Headquarters and their association, the AGSI, starting a High Court action.
The Commissioner announced today that the Covid emergency roster arrangements will be discontinued from November and Gardaí will revert to the previous roster.
That roster, known as the Westmanstown Roster, requires Gardaí to work a 10 hour shift of six days on and four days off. It will start on 6 November.
The Commissioner said today that the emergency Covid-19 roster no longer meets the criteria of serving the public, supporting the vulnerable, ensuring the health and wellbeing of Gardaí and allowing him to effectively and efficiently manage the organisation within the budget available.
The announcement was made following a meeting this afternoon between the Commissioner and senior Garda management and the four Garda Representative Associations, the GRA, the AGSI, the Superintendents Association and the Chief Superintendents Association.
The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors has sought in its High Court action that the Commissioner revert to the original roster.
General Secretary Antoinette Cunningham said its executive will meet in the coming days to review the impact of the commissioner's decision on its planned protests and legal action.
However the Garda Representative Association, which represents over 12,000 rank and file Gardaí, said this evening that it will have a negative impact on its members wellbeing and result in less Gardaí policing the streets.
The Association also says that Gardaí will now have to work an additional 25 days a year and have a damaging effect on the recruitment of new Gardaí.
The Garda Commissioner said he remains committed to reaching agreement with all parties on a future roster with the assistance of the Workplace Relations Commission.
He says he has today written again to the WRC seeking "their urgent assistance to move forward negotiations on this important matter".
