Rookies and volunteers to cover when Gardaí strike

Plans are being put together to ensure that the country is not without Gardaí on the streets during the upcoming Garda strikes, but it could be a raft of Garda Reserve volunteers and recruits who fill the void. They will have to fill in for high ranking officers and sergeants if they join the rank and file members of the Garda Representative Authority in November.

The threat of sergeants and inspectors joining in the 'blue flu' comes on the back of the government's agreement to increase Dublin Bus drivers' wages by 11.25% this week, with members of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors saying that the move has further 'inflamed' the Garda dispute.

If the AGSI join the GRA for the strike it would mean that there would a little over 2,000 Gardaí at work during the strikes, which includes recruits, volunteer reserves and AGSI members.

The AGSI are holding a meeting on October 17 in Athlone, during which the possibility of following the GRA down the road of strike action will be discussed.

GRA members have scheduled to call in sick on each Friday during the month of November.