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SERVICES ALLIANCE

McCarthy Report cuts pose major threat to integrity of front line public services

September 23^rd, 2009.

The leaders of unions and staff associations representing front line public service personnel such as nurses, paramedics, gardai, firefighters, prison officers and members of the defence forces have warned that further cutbacks along the lines proposed in the McCarthy report will force many committed professionals to resign and will further seriously undermine the quality and range of services to the public.

The warning came at a press conference in Dublin today by the 24/365 Frontline Services Alliance. The Alliance is holding a series of meetings around the country over the coming three weeks to consult members on the most effective way to combat the cuts. It will be the first time in the history of the state that organisations representing front line personnel will have come together to defend jobs and services.  

The Chairman of the Alliance, Des Kavanagh, said, “McCarthy's recommendations seek to revert nurses and other public service workers to pre-1970 conditions of employment. We will never accept that working unsocial hours at night, weekends and bank holidays should attract no additional earnings.

“Allowances are paid to nurses in recognition of a combination of higher qualifications, skilled practice and locations of particular challenge. Employers gave these increases in lieu of increases in basic pay. Our nurses have earned these allowances, which are now part of their core pay. We will not allow anyone to take them away from us.

“In Mental Health nearly 20% of Nursing Posts have been abolished. This year alone nearly 700 nurses will retire and not be replaced. Nurses are carrying a huge burden in trying to maintain services to patients. These cuts are damaging patients and exhausting nurses.” 

The General Secretary of the Garda Representative Association, P J Stone said that, “The people represented by the garda associations are those who take real risks on behalf of society – they risk being stabbed, shot and beaten on a daily basis, 365 days a year. Gardaí risk their lives in their job of protecting members of the public and many of their names are on the Roll of Honour in Garda Headquarters as having paid the ultimate sacrifice. Gardaí are one of only two professions in this country – the other being prison officers – which routinely have to wear anti-stab vests.

“The senior members are departing, and are not being replaced because of the recruitment ban.  This is increasing the workload of the remaining gardaí; 60% of whom have less than 10 years service and are at the start of the salary scale. Many of these young members have taken on mortgages to pay for homes and transport, based on their previous salaries. They now face real difficulties in meeting repayments.  Any more cuts in their take home pay will place them in an increasingly vulnerable situation.” 

Liam Doran, General Secretary of the Irish Nurses Organisation, said, “In recent months we have heard a chorus from the usual commentators, many of them economists who did not foresee this problem in the first place, calling again and again for cuts in services and pay.  This unfounded, unfair and unjustified attack was then crystallised further by the McCarthy Report with its recommendations to cut the pay and allowances of essential personnel.

“Our members are not anonymous statistics but committed individuals serving all the community 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year. Commentators who want to slash and burn fail to identify what essential services they actually want to cut or acknowledge that such services are essential to any civilised society.

“I want to add that the people we represent are, like our colleagues in the other services, the real risk takers in our society, often taking the ultimate risk to their health and wellbeing to care for others. Unlike the much heralded captains of industry they have also been paying their share when it comes to income tax levies, pension levies and other deductions from their very ordinary salaries”.

The General Secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeant and Inspectors, Joe Dirwan, said, “Gardaí are now also paying more than their fair share of tax – the combination of the levies, taxation and PRSI has resulted in income being reduced by more than 12%.  That fact and the possibility of further taxation of pensions and retirement lump sums has led to a growing exodus from the force, which is expected to lose more than 800 members this year. The force will continue to decline in numbers with the cessation of recruitment. Gardaí are also prohibited from taking on part-time work in many types of employment to make up their losses.

“The closure of more garda stations will accelerate the separation of the gardaí from the communities they serve and drive a wedge between communities and their garda service.”

The General Secretary of PDFORRA, Gerry Rooney, said, “Members of the Defence Forces have seen their pay cut significantly in recent months between the pension, income and health levies.  This has meant deductions of approximately €4,000 per annum for a typical soldier. It has led to real pain and difficulties and it is just not credible for pay or allowances to be further cut. The increased taxes to date have seen many individuals leave the Defence Forces and, if further cuts in pay are implemented, it is clear that in some cases homes could be lost.

“Members of the Defence Forces carry out a dangerous job in difficult circumstances in places such as Chad and Kosovo, as well as at home in Ireland, and in the North Atlantic in the case of members of the Naval Service. Given the 18% reduction in Permanent Defence Force numbers that has been implemented already it is hard to see how the organisation can take further cuts without a reduction in commitments”.   

SIPTU National Nursing Official Louise O’Reilly said members in frontline health and local authority sectors were “extremely angry. They feel that they have been unfairly targeted by commentators and by the McCarthy Report. Members are already paying their fair share and the recent imposition of the pension levy shows that this Government sees its own employees as a soft target to compensate for the excesses of bankers and property speculators. 

“We are sending a clear message to the Government on behalf of the frontline public service workers we represent – we will not stand idly by while our terms and conditions of employment are dismantled and our public services are unfairly targeted.  It is long past time for the general public to see the true face of the public service and public servants.  Fire fighters, nurses and other frontline workers provide essential services on a 24/7 basis and are already paying their share.” 

 The Deputy General Secretary of the Prison Officers Association Eugene Dennehy said, “Our members have made a massive contribution to the safety and security of this country over many decades on behalf of the state and for the benefit of Irish society. Their work is extremely difficult and hazardous, and often involves working anti-social hours in a stressful environment.

“The Prison Service has already undergone massive reorganisation and rationalisation in recent years.  The agreement on annualised hours in 2005 provided massive cost savings to the state and a significant decrease in income for individual Prison Officers. Many Prison Officers are now down in excess of another €4,000 per annum because of the pension levy introduced earlier this year. 

“Some Recruit Prison Officers are applying for income supplement because take home pay is so low. The POA is also aware of members who took out mortgages based on 2008 income experiencing re-payment difficulties. Is the government set to punish members and their families even further with more cuts in take home pay?”

Contact: Padraig Yeates, PYE Comm, 087 260 5297