A GRAPHIC poster campaign depicting gardaí who have received facial injuries in the line of duty is intended to highlight the dangers officers face and is not a shock tactic, the Garda Representative Association (GRA) has said.
The billboard posters, which were erected yesterday in six towns and cities, show a male and a female officer with serious facial wounds. They state: “Gardaí face injuries in the line of duty – they do not deserve pay cuts.”
The posters are part of a campaign by the GRA against the public sector pension levy. Damien McCarthy of the GRA said that the pension levy and the postponement of a 6 per cent pay rise will see many members losing out on about €300 per month.
“It’s not a shock tactic. The injuries shown in the poster are horrific, but nonetheless it is fact. Their salaries are extremely hard earned,” he said.
“The potential for violence against our members is increasing and this highlights the occupational hazards gardaí face.”
Mr McCarthy said Department of Justice figures show that two members of An Garda Síochána are assaulted on an average day.
The GRA says that Ireland is the only western European country to reduce police pay and that the salaries of officers in nations with financial problems such as Iceland have not been cut.
GRA general secretary PJ Stone said politicians are ignoring the concerns of GRA members.
“They [politicians] are out of touch with the reality of life in our cities, towns and villages because they have allowed themselves to live in a protected bubble,” said Mr Stone.
The posters will be displayed until March 23rd.
