Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy has dismissed claims by rank and file gardaí that they could be sacked in they fail to discharge debts such as mortgages because their pay had been cut.
Mr Murphy said Garda rules around dismissing members over debt default did not refer to individual members falling behind with their mortgages because of financial difficulties, as the Garda Representative Association (GRA) had claimed.
"The issue that I've heard reported, that people could lose their jobs because they got into debt, that's laughable from my perspective," Mr Murphy told reporters at the GRA annual conference in Limerick City.
"To think the commissioner of the day would sack anybody because their mortgage wasn't being paid due to financial circumstances. What we're talking about there is people wilfully incurring debt in the full knowledge they are doing it dishonestly, not in terms of a recession when people, through certain circumstances, can't pay their mortgage. I want to put the lie to that comment."
Mr Murphy was reacting to comments made by GRA general secretary PJ Stone that recent public sector pay cuts were causing severe financial difficulties for young gardai with large mortgages.
Mr Stone claimed that under Garda rules, gardaí who were unable to pay their mortgages could lose their jobs as a result.
He called for a relaxation of rules that prohibited gardaí taking part time jobs, such as driving a taxi or working in pubs and clubs as doormen or barmen. He also said gardaí were under such financial pressure that they risked falling into corruption.
Mr Murphy did not agree with Mr Stone that some gardaí were likely to engage in corruption.
"Such rhetoric does a grave disservice to the honest, hardworking men and women who are members of An Garda Siochána."
He was confident the Garda's principles would not be compromised by criminals who mistakenly believed there was now an opportunity to bribe gardai.
"In my 40 years in An Garda Siochána very few cases have arisen in relation to financial corruption within the Garda. It would be doing a disservice to our young people to say they're open to corruption."
"They're going through hard times; so is everybody. We need to look to the future, to a bright future. We've gotten through hardships before and we'll do it again."
On the issue of gardai taking part time jobs, Mr Murphy said there were good reasons for the rules in place that prohibited members taking certain part time jobs.
"I wouldn't support any situation where members of An Garda Siochána are working jobs where a conflict of interest might arise."
Much of the debate at the Garda's three-day conference, which ended today, centred on the financial difficulties being experienced by gardaí since the recent pay cuts and levies were imposed.
John Healy, the GRA's deputy general secretary said gardaí should withhold their mortgage payments to the banks if there was another pay cut. He said members should hold back an amount equivalent to any new pay cut.
