Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has confirmed to Independent TD Carol Nolan that there are 90 members of An Garda Síochána (AGS) currently on suspension and in receipt of suspension allowance, which is equal to full pay.
Minister McEntee also confirmed to the Laous Offaly TD that 73 of these members have been suspended for 12 months or more while 10 have been suspended for 6months+.
The final 7 have been suspended for less than 6 months.
The minister was responding to a parliamentary question from the Independent TD where she asked her to provide data on number of employees within her Department and bodies under the aegis of her Department who are currently suspended on full pay pending disciplinary investigations.
As part of her reply minister McEntee also revealed that she had been informed by the Irish Prison Service (IPS) that there are currently 6 members of IPS staff who are suspended on full pay pending the conclusion of disciplinary proceedings.
With respect to her own Department there is currently one member of staff suspended:
“I think these are really quite striking numbers particularly with respect to the sheer length of time that so many members of An Garda Síochána have been suspended for,” said Deputy Nolan.
“We know that the Garda Representation Association have consistently raised concerns around this aspect of internal disciplinary procedures and indeed how the Commissioner may be adopting a morale destroying and overly punitive approach.”
“Of course, we must have robust disciplinary procedures. No member should ever think they can act as a law unto him or herself and expect to get away it. Communities and indeed AGS itself must be protected from such people. But we must also have timely processes in place that can allow garda members to have their name cleared and to get back working or to be removed altogether where that is appropriate.”
“Having 73 members currently suspended for more than a year clear points to a level of dysfunction that must be examined,” concluded Deputy Nolan.