Rank and File Gardaí in Tipperary say morale within the force is non-existent.
It comes as members of the Garda Representative Association have voted to pull overtime on each Tuesday during October including Budget Day and Halloween.
Members will effectively strike on November 10th if there’s no resolution to the dispute over rosters.
Tipperary GRA rep Richard Kennedy told Tipp Today that the actions of Commissioner Drew Harris are having a huge impact on the force.
“Because of the lack of recruitment the job runs on overtime especially on occasions like Budget Day, Halloween, it could be even something as simple as a GAA match – these things don’t run without overtime because of a lack of resources.
“The Commissioner has dug his heels in. We all know the morale is on the floor – its not even on the floor because there is no morale at this stage. And there’s only one person in the entire force thinks we don’t have a morale problem and that’s the Commissioner. Everyone else knows we have a major morale issue and major issues right across the force.”
Richie Kennedy expects Garda management to use Sergeants and Inspectors to police the Leinster House during Budget Day.
He also told Tipp Today that probationer Gardaí may feel pressurised into providing cover.
Garda Kennedy says members of the force have reached breaking point.
“You can’t have a situation where someone continually ignores your issues and basically thinks its his way or the highway. That doesn’t work – you can’t have a situation where someone just attempts to bully 10,000 people into his way of thinking. We’ve been driven to this – there’s only so many times you can kick a dog before he bites you back.”
