THE Garda Federation, the breakaway representative body for rank and file gardai has concluded a deal with Eagle Star for life assurance cover for its 2,500, members.

The federation says the deal, which will cost members £2 a week, is cheaper than the deal which the Garda Representative Association has negotiated with Irish Life for its members.

It also involves significantly higher benefits, according to the federation. The GRA has approximately 6,000 members.

Mr Chris Finnegan, the national secretary of the Garda Federation, has called on the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, to extend to his members a tax reduction on insurance payments which is currently given only to members of the GRA.

"This is serious," Mr Finnegan said. "We have consulted counsel. We are saying it is not equitable that some gardai are getting the relief because they are in one association, and the others are not getting it because they are in another association."

The federation deal, negotiated through its brokers LifeWise Ltd, is still 70p a week cheaper than the GBA one, even when the relief scheme is taken into account, Mr Finnegan said.

Efforts to contact a spokesman for the GRA last night were not successful.