Lack of maternity cover leaves Gardaí with baby blues

The manpower available to Galway Gardaí is depleted because members on long-term sick leave and maternity leave are not replaced, the County Galway Joint Policing Committee has heard.
Connemara County Councillor Joe Folan said Gardaí who are out on maternity leave should be replaced by ‘substitutes’.
He said if a teacher is out on maternity leave, the principal of the school can bring in a substitute teacher to take over her classes.
But he said that Garda Superintendent Tom Curley cannot get any substitute Gardaí to cover maternity leave for his members.
Cllr Folan said he had “nothing against” women members of An Garda Síochána taking maternity leave – “long may it continue”, he said – but he felt some solution had to be found so that they could be replaced for the months they are missing.
“There is no provision to have them replaced . . . they could be out for months and Gardaí just have to make do without them; there is no substitute available like there is with teachers,” he said.
Cllr Folan indicated that because there was no replacement, a certain amount of “resentment” could build up among the colleagues who are left behind and who have to cover for the Garda on maternity leave.
Chief Supt Curley said what Cllr Folan was getting at was “a point well made”.

For more on this story, see the Galway City Tribune.