The Garda Representative Association (GRA) has offered a ban on garda overtime next year in an effort to avoid cuts to basic pay and allowances in the budget. The GRA has made the offer to the Department of Justice, which did not respond.

The government wants to cut €90m from the garda budget next year and could make reductions in pay, overtime or to some of the 46 allowances to which gardai are entitled. These cost €215m last year.

Michael O’Boyce, the GRA’s president, said the government could save €80m by introducing an overtime ban. “Our members would be more than happy to do a normal day’s work and go home to their families rather than working overtime,” O’Boyce said. “We believe our members would prefer to avoid overtime, which is a cheap form of labour after tax is paid.”

The GRA, which represents 12,000 rank-and-file gardai, also proposed allowing officers to take unpaid leave, which it claims could save €10m. The GRA was due to meet officials from the Department of Justice last Friday to discuss these suggestions, but the meeting was cancelled at short notice and without explanation.

The garda body is considering a national day of action to highlight its opposition to public sector pay cuts. The GRA organised a “blue flu” in 1998, when thousands of officers took sick leave and protested outside the Dail. The force is unlikely to stage a similar protest this time, said O’Boyce.

“We want to find a method of expressing our anger in an action that every one of our members can participate in. Street marches and protests in Dublin have not had the desired effect,” he said.

The annual pay bill for the force is €940m. Of this €643m is spent on pay, €215m on allowances and €80m on overtime. Some allowances are pensionable while others are not taxed. It is understood these premium payments are most actively targeted for cutbacks.

“Not every garda officer gets those allowances and those who do have a specific reason,” said O’Boyce. “Many of our members are just keeping their heads above the water. They don’t have many options.”

O’Boyce said Dermot Ahern, the justice minister, had declined to meet the GRA to discuss the issue.

“Over the years the GRA has had difficulties and rows with many ministers for justice, but we’ve always been able to sit down and thrash out the issues. Ahern doesn’t want to do that,” he said.“We’ve only had one meeting with him since he was appointed.”

Pat Rabbitte, the Labour party spokesman on justice, urged Ahern to meet the GRA. “The justice minister and the garda commissioner should meet the GRA as soon as possible to work out the best way of addressing the budgetary requirements,” said Rabbitte.

A spokeswoman for the Department of Justice said that Ahern planned to meet the GRA in January. The budget is on December 9.

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