30 Senior Posts to be Suppressed
Minister Looks Forward to Positive Impact of New Operating Model
The Minister for Justice and Equality Charlie Flanagan TD has secured Cabinet agreement for the Regulations governing a severance programme targeted at Senior managers in the Garda organisation.
The programme aims to incentivise 30 Garda members at senior ranks to take retirement before the maximum retirement age of 60, and to suppress the 30 posts that fall vacant as a result of the organisational restructuring.
Announcing the programme, the Minister said:
This severance programme forms a vital part of the restructuring of the Garda organisation. The new Operating Model, which aims to reduce the number of Divisions from 28 to approximately 19, will result in a consequential reduction in the number of senior Garda positions required at Divisional level. Thus, up to 30 surplus posts across senior ranks will be identified - 20 at the rank of Superintendent, 8 at Chief Superintendent, and 2 at Assistant Commissioner.
The Minister also revealed the expected cost of the package and the benefit to those who avail of it:
Broadly speaking, those availing of the scheme will receive 6 months’ pay, in addition to their normal pension and lump sum entitlements, while the additional cost of the programme will be in the order of €6.5m during 2020. This represents the costs of paying the severance gratuities that fall due in 2020, and also the additional costs associated with bringing forward lump sum and pension payments that would not otherwise fall due to be paid until later years.
The severance terms will also be offered to Garda Staff (civilians) who are civil servants at Executive Director (Assistant Secretary) level. Any of these who choose to avail of the severance programme will be replaced, as these posts are not being suppressed.
The programme is to be on a voluntary basis, and to be limited in access to Garda Members of Superintendent rank and above (but not including the Garda Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner) and to Garda Civilian staff (civil servants) at the level of Executive Director (Assistant Secretary). On departure, those availing of the severance programme will be subject to the normal provisions applying to future employment in the public service.
Garda members who avail of the severance programme will not be permitted to subsequently rejoin the Garda organisation, either as sworn members or civilian staff.
It is intended to launch the programme in the coming weeks, with a closing date for acceptance at the end of January 2020. The programme will be available on a voluntary basis. Expressions of interest will be sought from the relevant ranks.
Referring to how those allowed avail of the scheme will be selected, Minister Flanagan said:
Decisions on access to the scheme will be made by the Garda Commissioner alone
and he added:
Departures will take effect from around April 2020 but may be phased depending on take up and the locations in which those availing of the programme are serving.
The Minister emphasised that the programme is in accordance with ‘A Policing Service for the Future’ the implementation plan for the Report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland and he also pointed out that while a small number of Senior posts were being suppressed, the numbers of Gardai at other ranks were continuing to grow:
Following the recent Passing Out Ceremony in Templemore, there are now approximately 14,330 Gardaí nationwide, supported by over 2,900 Garda staff – by far the highest level in over a decade.
Garda, Sergeant and Inspector level are the ranks which make the most visible difference to the public on the ground and the new Garda Operating Model - recently announced by the Garda Commissioner and based on the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing - will deliver additional police at each of these key ranks.
Notes to Editors
Approximately 800 new Gardaí were recruited in 2017 and again in 2018. This year, 600 new Gardaí were recruited. For 2020, recruitment of up to 700 Gardaí will be possible, depending on the Commissioner’s decision on how best to balance the number of Gardaí and Garda staff. Gardaí are now also supported by an unprecedented 2,900 Garda (civilian) staff which is allowing many more highly trained Gardaí to return to the frontline from administrative duties.