HQ fears middle-raking officers will strike same days as gardaí

A range of Garda sources yesterday said there would be severe consequences for policing, and in turn for public safety, if the AGSI took industrial action on one or more of the four strike dates set by the Garda Representative Association [November 4, 11, 18 and 25].

It is understood that Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan and her senior team are already beginning to draw up contingency plans for the first strike date on November 4 — and will be in contact with the GRA in terms of providing emergency cover on the day.

Emergency cover could involve staffing the dispatch system in Command and Control centres around the country, which deal with 999 calls, and staffing specific units, such as the Emergency Response Unit and Regional Support Units.

The contingency plans could also involve closing some Garda stations and concentrating resources in district headquarters and in patrols.

It could involve 12-hour shifts, utilising probationary gardaí, student gardaí and Garda Reserves — and possibly the Army.

But sources said that such contingency plans would only be feasible if the country’s 2,000 sergeants and inspectors came in for duty.

Sources said that Garda HQ is “animated” at the possibility of the AGSI taking industrial action on the same dates.

Some sources predicted there is a “huge danger” of possible gun attacks in the Kinahan-Hutch feud.

These attempted assassinations are being kept at bay by constant patrolling — by marked uniformed gardaí and unmarked heavily armed gardaí — in Dublin’s north inner city and the south inner city and neighbouring Crumlin and Drimnagh areas.

“If the AGSI don’t go on strike, it’s manageable,” said one senior source. “It will be a skeleton service, okay, but if the AGSI go out then it will be very, very challenging.”

A second senior source said: “We might have to close some stations and have a skeletal presence at stations and have all resources out on the street, by using probationers, students and reserves. But if AGSI do the same, we are under serious pressure. It would be a nightmare scenario.”

An experienced sergeant said: “Even if we stay in, we don’t have the capacity. It will be just a fire brigade service.”

AGSI general secretary, John Jacob, would not comment specifically on whether or not there was a motion to conference calling for strike action on the same dates at the GRA.

But he said: “All available industrial relations actions will be considered by delegates on the day and delegates will decide what course of actions best address our concerns. I’m not ruling anything in or out at this point.”

The AGSI national executive will meet on October 12 and 13 at which they are likely to decide their positions on possible industrial action options.

The AGSI, which had made an agreement with the Government, changed its mind on the day GRA called the strike, saying their expectations of progress on pay had been reneged upon by the Department of Public Expenditure.

It said it was going to hold its own special delegate conference to consider industrial action.

Some sources in the AGSI believe there has been “a shift in mood” among members — which has been hardened by the significant pay rises granted to Luas staff and Dubin Bus drivers.

One AGSI source said: “I hope common sense prevails, but right now I amfearful there is an appetite among members to go out.”