IMPACT national secretary Andy Pike has welcomed moves to establish a new civilian management structure at the Garda training college in Templemore. Talks on the implications of the new structure, which will see the appointment of a senior civilian manager to oversee the college finances and directly manage the facilities, are due to take place this week.

The need for improved governance and financial controls at the college has been highlighted in several audit reports discussed by the Public Accounts Committee over the past few weeks.

Andy said facilities staff working in the large college canteen had for years been paid as if they were employees of a Garda social club. “This has been an ongoing shambles and there is a clear need to modernise the management of civilian staff and resources within the college,” he said.

Andy said the new structure would bring all college facilities staff under one civilian manager and ensure clear accountability for day-to-day expenditure in those areas. “Catering staff are to be confirmed as college employees as part of this process. This essential modernisation is to be welcomed, as are the efforts of the national Garda HR service to bring transparency to college governance,” he said.

IMPACT is also seeking an explanation for the delay in appointing key staff to increase the cleaning workforce. Talks at the Workplace Relations Commission (WRC) led to an agreement to give permanent contracts to eight cleaning staff. The WRC outcome also envisaged the appointment of relief staff, new service attendants, and a new superintendent of cleaning.

“IMPACT expects rapid progress to be made on these issues,” said Andy.