THE Garda Commissioner's salary should be increased by almost £8,600 in order that the responsibilities be better reflected by comparison with secretaries of Government Departments, the Buckley report recommends.
The report suggests the work of the two Deputy Garda Commissioners and nine Assistant Commissioners be subject to performance and development audits.
The Commissioner's pay recommended by the report is £77,316, which is in line with a Grade IV departmental secretary, just lower than the salary of the secretary of the Department of Justice. The committee said it concluded that "some differential between these two posts in favour of the secretary is appropriate". The current rate for a commissioner is £68,725.
It added: "We have concluded, however, that the existing differential is too great and fails to reflect the Commissioner's responsibilities as head of the Garda Siochana and head of security for the State."
Both the Garda and the Defence Forces are undergoing organisational and personnel reform and the committee felt that the ranks of deputy and assistant commissioner might be subject to performance appraisal but that of commissioner should not. It recommends a deputy commissioner's pay be increased from £58,416 to £62,000 and that of an assistant from £50,398 to £52,000.
The position of Chief-of-Staff of the Defence Forces, holding the rank of lieutenant general, is raised from £68,725 to £70,750. The next rank of major general should have a pay increase from £54,978 to £56,750 and that of brigadier general, or the Naval Service equivalent of commodore, should rise from £49,252 to £50,750.
The committee said it considered performance-related pay in the Defence Forces, but the Chief-of-Staff, Lieut-Gen Gerry McMahon, indicated that this would be inappropriate and incompatible with the role of the Defence Forces and the nature of the responsibilities of its senior ranks".