An Garda Síochána have announced that they will be putting several measures in place to maximise their ‘operational availability’ during the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic.
An Garda Siochana will support other vital public services during this time, according to a statement from the force this morning, March 13.
As part of these contingency measures, An Garda Siochana have said contingency roster will go into effect from March 16, and approximately 325 Garda students in the Garda College will be attested as Garda members next week and allocated to Garda stations nationally in the coming weeks
Garda members working as tutors/instructors in the Garda College will be deployed to operational duties or essential training services, while training in the Garda College will be deferred until further notice expect for specialist training activity.
The statement also detailed that 210 additional vehicles have been hired, in addition to members of the force who were due to retire in April being invited to defer their retirement for three months.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris has said that the ongoing situation has been designated as an “exceptional event” in accordance with the Working Time Agreement.
Earlier this week, the Deputy Commissioner, Policing and Security established the Garda National Co-ordination Unit, with its primary role being to ensure a co-ordinated approach when dealing with organisational issues surrounding the Covid-19 virus.
