Senior civil servants at An Garda Síochána are to ballot on industrial action in a dispute over access to internal promotions.About 90 members of the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants, which represents staff at principal officer and assistant principal grades, are set to vote over the coming weeks on whether to take action, which would likely be a work to rule.The dispute centres on what the union says is a long-running policy by Garda management to advertise senior promotional posts externally when Civil Service terms provide for one in every three of these positions to be filled through internal competition.The union says the practice of advertising the posts externally has been in place for several years with management refusing to engage on the issue.The association’s general secretary, Ciaran Rohan, said the union formally initiated a dispute procedure when a principal officer post was recently advertised externally. He said management went ahead with the process, which has prompted the decision to ballot.The internal staff, who perform administrative roles and are not members of the force itself, can participate in the recruitment processes, but Rohan said they have come to believe they will not be successful.“A culture seems to have developed within the force that they are better off bringing in people from outside, but that’s not a healthy way to operate. No company consistently passes over their existing staff. They look to develop them and bring them on,” he said.He does not think the union has balloted these members on industrial action since 2009, but there is “a lot of anger about this”.He said the union has repeatedly sought to engage on the issue and has unsuccessfully sought a meeting with the Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly.[ Ireland’s refusal to say sorry to men convicted of Sallins train robbery is shamefulOpens in new window ]Civilian staff with An Garda Síochána are civil servants, but their roles are due to transfer to the Garda under the terms of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, perhaps by next year.In the meantime, the union says normal Civil Service rules should apply but management has adopted a policy contrary to these.Management has acted as though the transfer has already occurred, the union claims.When it is formally completed, civilian staff within the Garda organisation will lose access to transfer and promotions across the wider Civil Service, which is said to have caused many staff to have transferred out already. Rohan said the current dispute will only encourage such moves.The union’s members “unanimously” determined they should proceed to a ballot for industrial action, he said.An Garda Síochána was approached for comment.