GARDA OVERTIME IS to be “shortly reduced” following “complaints” from the body representing rank-and-file gardaí, Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said today.

Kelly’s comments come following the Garda Representative Association (GRA) announcement that following a special meeting of its Central Executive Committee, it was decided that members will adopt a work-to-rule position for EU Presidency meetings from 10 November to 14 November.

The decision followed a survey vote taken by just under half of the organisation’s 11,600 members. Members voted in favour of work-to-rule industrial action during events around Ireland’s presidency of the EU Council on Tuesday. 

On Wednesday, GRA General Secretary Ronan Slevin claimed gardaí are being directed to work 16-hour days for EU Presidency events.

Slevin told RTÉ’s Morning Ireland that GRA members are being instructed to work “up to 16 hours a day” and they are doing this “four days in a row continuously, including their travel time”.

In an email sent to all members of the GRA this evening, Slevin said that the work-to-rule motion urges all members to report to their home station and wait to be transported to their points of duty.

Members stationed more than 100km from their points of duty in the Dublin Metropolitan Region and Shannon are urged not to use their private vehicles to get to their points of duty, the email continued.

Slevin said the motion doesn’t exclude the possibility of further action “as it is clear that our members’ working terms and conditions, including sub and travel entitlements are being deliberately eroded”.

The GRA’s Executive will meet on Monday morning to discuss this position and “further accelerated actions”, up to and including a withdrawal of services, Slevin said.

In a short statement issued by An Garda Síochána, Justin Kelly said that with the visit of US President Donald Trump, a number of large-scale investigations, and the EU Presidency, “gardaí have had to work long hours and put a lot of effort in”.

“The GRA have said to me that gardaí are working too much overtime,” he said.

“I have discussed this with Deputy Commissioner, Policing Operations, and it has been agreed that we will soon reduce the amount of overtime available once we complete some forthcoming major events such as the EPC in mid-November.”

Kelly said that gardaí have demonstrated their “professionalism and dedication” during the EU Presidency, and he has received many compliments on this work.