An Garda Síochána’s Strategy Statement 2010-2012 outlined my objective of effective and innovative use of our resources and in that context I am pleased to announce that a new Garda Roster and Working Time Agreement has been developed, agreed and implemented by An Garda Síochána.
This major change project is one of our significant undertakings in the Croke Park Agreement. Our stated aim in the agreement is to develop a more effective Garda Rostering System to more closely match the availability of resources with policing demands while protecting the welfare of Garda members.
The implementation of a new Garda Roster is a significant development and is the first time that rosters and working time has been fundamentally changed in over forty years in An Garda Síochána. This is all the more significant when you consider that the rosters were agreed and implemented in the context of constricting financial resources, competing demands from all stakeholders and compliance with the European Working Time Directive and the recommendations of the Garda Inspectorate.
The new rosters have been developed within our existing budget with no extra cost to the tax payer, while at the same time its design provides for a more effective match between the supply of manpower and the demands for manpower. For example, the new roster provides for overlapping shift patterns. The overlapping periods provide for a 25% increase in the number of staff working at these times. The overlaps increase in duration and change to coincide with periods of increased demand.
Improved flexibility is achieved by changing the shift start times to coincide, with increased demand for the policing of major events and investigations and with scheduled court attendance.
While meeting the overall objective of improving service delivery I was very conscious of the need to design a roster system that complies with the European Working Time Directive and was beneficial to the health and well being of my staff.
The daily and weekly rest provisions and the maximum hours worked per week are protected in line with the European Working Time Directive. However derogations from these provisions are agreed so that for example the policing of exceptional events will not be compromised.
I am aware that the design and development of a new roster for an organisation as large as An Garda Síochána is very complex. The need to deliver on many and varied demands adds to this complexity. I would therefore like to acknowledge the commitment of the Garda Staff Associations during a long and protracted negotiating period that concluded with a collective agreement without the need for external involvement.
The Croke Park Agreement is a commitment by Public Servants and their Managers to work together to change the way in which the Public Service does its business in an environment of restricting resources while continuing to meet the needs for service and improve the experience of service users.
The new Garda Roster enables An Garda Síochána to meet our commitment to the Croke Park Agreement and to the communities we serve. The Roster and the Working Time Agreement are now agreed and implemented nationally and will be reviewed at regular intervals to ensure that it achieves it’s objectives in full.
Issued on behalf of Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan
