The Department of Justice introduced a policy of stationing only unmarried gardaí on the Aran Islands to avoid the cost of transporting the wives of gardaí who were pregnant or sick to the mainland.
Newly released files also show the department rejected a claim for a special living allowance for gardaí based at Kilronan on Inishmore, despite acknowledging that conditions were harsh on the islands.
The department noted in June 1967 that the Garda commissioner had agreed to have the Kilronan station manned by "unmarried members, each of whom will be required to serve only two years on the island.
"This is the solution we had in mind, and the Commissioner's reaction is very acceptable. It disposes fully of any claim for a special allowance for service on the island."
The decision followed representations to the Garda Síochána Complaints Council about the added living expenses in Kilronan, as well as a lack of services.
"The hardships to be borne by married residents on the islands are numerous," Garda assistant commissioner John Reynolds told the department.
Writing 38 years to the month before fast-food chain Supermacs opened a burger joint at Kilronan, he said:
"Fresh meat is unobtainable during the winter months when all such supplies have to be taken the 30 mile journey from Galway.
"The supply of milk is another matter which presents problems during the winter months; condensed milk has, generally, to be used, even for children."
The report continued that there was no secondary school on any of the islands, and nor were the services of a nurse available.
As a result, one garda had to hire a lifeboat to convey his child to the mainland for emergency hospital treatment.
Another garda had to send his wife, who was seven months pregnant, to Galway after she suddenly fell ill.
"In this case [ in 1965] the cost of the lifeboat was £35. The Local Authority contributed £25 towards the cost", and the garda in question was "called upon to contribute £10 by virtue of the fact that he is considered to be in comparative affluence on the island, his wife being a national teacher".
While the assistant commissioner argued that "members should not be called upon to make contributions towards the cost of the lifeboat" in emergency situations, department officials seized on his report to refuse any "special payments".
In a memo the following month, the department accused the Garda representatives of being "less than frank" about the costs on Aran of hiring the lifeboat.
"We were told the gardaí had to pay £35 per trip; it now appears that the Health Authority bore £25 or £30 of this."
In the same letter, the department said it had ordered a stop to work on improving the "married quarters" at Kilronan.
"The married men now have the option to leave the island; even if they don't exercise this immediately, they are liable to do so at any time in the near future; and as they will be replaced by single men . . . we should not spend anything on the married quarters at this juncture."
Dozens of other cases were found within the files showing gardaí in protracted correspondence with the department in an effort to reclaim expenses incurred while on duty.
Joe Humphreys