SÍOCHÁIN The Official Magazine of the Garda Síochána Retired Members’ Association REGULATORY AUTHORITY TO LAY DOWN THE LAW FOR LEGAL PROFESSION GSRMA CONTINUES CALLS FOR PENSION RESTORATION 150th ANNIVERSARY OF FENIAN RISING IPA IRELAND OFFERS MANY MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS Spring 2017 ISSN 1649-5896 WINTER 2015 ISSNwww.gardaretired.com 1649-5896 www.gardaretired.com WIN A ONE-WEEK STAY AT RESORT IN CANNES FOR TWO! EDITORIAL NO FORUM TO FIGHT FOR PENSION RESTORATION The absence of a forum for GSRMA members to publicly air their views on pension restoration is bemoaned by General Secretary Paschal Feeney. He says the Association has waited for far too long to make its submissions to the Public Service Pay Commission, which is due to deliver its report in April. n behalf of the GSRMA, I had written well in Oadvance when the Terms of Reference were released for the Public Service Pay Commission (PSPC) – the body which was established to look into all aspects of Public Sector Remuneration. Likewise I sought representation on your behalf on the Commission itself in order to get our message across, since the Government is failing to recognise our plight. Taoiseach Enda Kenny referred my application to the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Paschal Donohoe TD. Minister Donohoe released the names of the PSPC members he had appointed to the Commission, and inferred that all submission in relation to public pay and pensions were to be submitted to this body in good time, so that they would be best equipped to deliver its report. In mid-February I wrote to the Public Service Pay Commission, to put them on notice that I would be as a progressively structured imposition on public service making a submission on your behalf. I asked for direction pensions in payment to retired public servants under in relation to deadlines and the most apt times to submit terms set out in FEMPI, Act 2010, as amended. PSPR is our report. being significantly reversed in three stages under FEMPI, What has followed is yet another bitter Act 2015. disappointment from this Government; PSPC thanked “When fully rolled out from 1 January 2018, the me for my correspondence and directed me to a recent changes will mean that all public service pensions with parliamentary question (PQ) delivered by Minister for pre-PSPR values of up to €34,132 will be fully exempt from Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Paschal Donohoe, PSPR, while those pensioners not fully removed from the in the Dáil on 21 February 2017. reach of PSPR will, in the majority of cases, benefit by €1,680 per year. MINISTERIAL RESPONSE “The officials of my Department and I have engaged The Minister made the following statement: “Under with representatives of the Alliance of Retired Public the remit set out in its terms of reference the PSPC is Servants (ARPS) and will continue to do so, to ensure tasked with reporting to Government on the pay of retired public servants and their representatives have a public servants, in the context of the Financial Emergency suitable and appropriate opportunity to articulate their Measures in the Public Interest (FEMPI) Acts. The issues and concerns in relation to public service pensions Commission’s remit does not extend to considering the in payment.” position of retired public servants. What this means is yet again there is no forum for “The Public Service Pension Reduction (PSPR) applies GSRMA to publicly air its views on Pension Restoration. Síocháin 1 SÍOCHÁIN The Official Magazine of the Garda Síochána Retired Members’ Association REGULATORY AUTHORITY TO LAY DOWN THE LAW CONTENTS FOR LEGAL PROFESSION GSRMA CONTINUES CALLS The Official Magazine of the Garda Síochána Retired Members’ Association FOR PENSION RESTORATION 150th ANNIVERSARY OF FENIAN RISING IPA IRELAND OFFERS MANY MEMBERSHIP BENEFITS Spring 2017 ISSN 1649-5896 WINTER 2015 ISSNwww.gardaretired.com 1649-5896 Spring 2017 www.gardaretired.com WIN A ONE-WEEK STAY AT RESORT IN CANNES FOR TWO! Volume 46 • Issue 1 • ISSN 1649-5896 4 ASSOCIATION NEWS 31 CHRISTMAS DRAW WINNERS who was commemorated with Find out who won Ford Mondeo a headstone in St Colmcille’s or Hyundai i40 cars, or bagged the Cemetery, Durrow, Co. Offaly in 16 IN-HOUSE REPORT runner-up prizes of €1,000 during September 2015. The roles and functions of the the 24 days of Christmas! Legal Services Regulatory Authority (a new independent body to oversee the legal profession), the 33 SHORT STORY COMPETITION procedures for those who work Pat Daly, Cork City Branch, was with children or vulnerable people one of three finalists in the under the National Vetting Bureau, GSRMA’s inaugural Short Story and the procedures of the Data Competition for 2016, with ‘Feed Protection Process are detailed by The Fox!’ Entries are now open Paschal Feeney, GSRMA General until 29 September for this year’s Secretary. competition so you have plenty of time to submit your stories. 52 PARKING A CAR 23 LETTERS TO THE EDITOR Parking a car is a task that some people find impossible to do properly. Most of us seem to 27 manage it ok but there are those among us who just cannot handle it and should really stop trying, muses Trevor Laffan, Cork City Branch. 38 THE FENIAN RISING CANNES RESORT COMPETITION On the 150th anniversary of the 55 THE BACK NINE Here’s your chance to win a Fenian Rising, which had huge Time has a way of moving quickly week-long stay for two at the consequences for the future and catching you unaware of the beautiful Mimozas Resort in policing of Ireland and planted passing years, writes John Barry, Cannes. the seeds for the 1916 Rebellion, Dublin North Branch, who wonders Kerry’s Retired Chief Supt Donal where the years and his youth have O’Sullivan recounts the significant gone!And for those not yet on the 30 ST PAUL’S GARDA CREDIT events during 5-6 March 1867. ‘back nine’ yet, he says it will be UNION here faster than you think, but also This is the year when a number points out that health is the real of first-round Personal Contract 46 LOOK BACK wealth and not pieces of gold and Plans (PCPs) are coming to an end It is only proper that the silver. and consumers will face their final grandfather of poet Patrick ‘balloon’ payment, to buy out of Kavanagh is remembered in the contract. Offaly, the place where he spent 57 GSRMA SOCIAL OUTINGS the greater part of his life, writes Spring Break to Tralee on 8 April, Carthage Minnock, Dublin South an Autumn Break on 18 September Branch. He looks back over the to Wexford, and overseas trips to life and times of Patrick Kevany the Croatian capital of Dubrovnik 2 Síocháin CONTENTS in April and Sorrento in Italy in the welfare of older persons, writes October. Plus recent outings to Joe Ward, a qualified solicitor and Westport, Co. Mayo and the Czech member of the GSRMA Central GSRMA EDITORIAL capital of Prague. Committee, who recommend it BOARD without reservation. Paschal Feeney (Editor & General Secretary) 64 MEMORABILIA PAGE 65 MEMBERSHIP FORM 73 OBITUARY NOTICES 61 IPA IRELAND The International Police Association POETRY CORNER (IPA) continues to serve a wide 85 range of both serving and retired Billy Saunderson members of An Garda Síochána, 86 ARCHIVE SNAPSHOTS offering membership benefits such as overseas group travel tours, free holiday draws, sporting and cultural 89 IN THE FRAME events. 98 CROSSWORD 63 BOOK REVIEW The third edition of ‘Law and Finance in Retirement’ sets out, in 105 BULLETIN BOARD a reader-friendly way, some very Joe Ward diverse and complex legal issues of interest to retired people, and 112 NOTICEBOARD indeed everyone concerned with Garda Síochána Retired Members’ Association, SÍOCHÁIN is published by Ocean Publishing, 14 Upper Fitzwilliam Street, Dublin 2. Tel: 01-6785165; Email: [email protected] Website: www.oceanpublishing.ie GSRMA House, 5 Harrington Street, Managing Director: Patrick Aylward In-House Editor: Grace Heneghan Dublin 8. In-House Designer: Catherine Doyle Tel: 01-4781525 PRESS CONCIL OF IRELAND Fax: 01-4785127 SIOCHAIN is a full participating member of the Press Council of Ireland and supports the office of the Press Ombandsman. In addition to defending the freedom of the press, the scheme offers readers a quick, fair and free Email: [email protected] method of dealing with complaints that they may have in relation to articles that appear on our pages. To contact Website: www.gardaretired.com the office of the Press Ombudsman visit www.pressombudsman.ie or www.presscouncil.ie or LoCall 1890 208 080. The views expressed in SIOCHAIN, unless expressly stated, do not necessarily reflect the views of the Editor, the YOU CAN ALSO FOLLOW US ON Editorial Board, the GSRMA, Ocean Publishing, the Garda Commissioner or An Garda Síochána. Opinions expressed Facebook www.facebook.com/GardaRetired by the authors and services offered by advertisers are not specifically endorsed by the GSRMA. All rights reserved. No part of SIOCHAIN may be reproduced or used in any form or by any means without the written permission Twitter www.twitter.com/GardaRetired from the Editorial Board and the Publisher. Copyright © 2016 Ocean Publishing Síocháin 3 ASSOCIATION NEWS BALLINA BRANCH Ballina Branch members enjoying their Christmas party in the Merry Monk Ballina on 5 December 2016: Front Row (l-r): Joe Cosgrove, Jim Friel, Jim Walshe,Tom Lyons, Mick Farrell, Danny Gallagher, Noel Slowey and Malachy Burke; Back Row (l-r): Des McCann, Jim Gill, Mick Hussey, Tony Lavelle,Noel Brett, Stephen Smyth, Eamon Brogan, Cyril Collins, Greg Burke, Paddy O’Hora, Val McLoughlin, Mick Caplice, Padraic Prendergast, John McCormack and Mick Staunton.