MINISTER FOR Justice Alan Shatter has expressed regret at the decision to suspend Garda recruitment because of the poor state of the public finances but said the last government was to blame because it had “destroyed” the Irish economy.
He also warned it would be another 18 months at the earliest before any new recruits would enter the Garda College at Templemore, Co Tipperary.
He was speaking at a passing out ceremony in Templemore at which 126 new gardaí graduated.
The class was the last to be taken into the college before a decision was made to suspend further Garda recruitment two years ago as part of the wider public sector recruitment moratorium.
The decision to include the Garda force in that recruitment moratorium has been strongly criticised. This period of suspended recruitment added to the two-year duration of the Garda training course means there will be no new gardaí coming on the streets until 2015 at the earliest.
Mr Shatter said the Government was confined by the “financial envelope” in which the State found itself. “We’re in a position where we’ve inherited the estimates from the last government.
“The EU-IMF agreement has prescribed the necessity to reduce the Garda numbers from 14,500 to 13,000. As Minister I’m told to effect a 1,000 reduction this year in circumstances which my predecessors didn’t prescribe how that could be undertaken.”
The Garda Representative Association and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors have branded the move as a “mistake” that would be welcomed by no section of Irish society, apart from criminals.
However, Mr Shatter has insisted the Garda was very well resourced. “We have 14,300 gardaí within the force at the moment, a great deal more than we had at the height of the Troubles in Northern Ireland. I’ve absolute confidence in the Garda’s capacity to meet all obligations to continue the fight against crime and subversion.”
He denied reports that the Garda College would now close. Instead, four of the five schools within the college would remain open and would provide a range of courses and in-service training to existing Garda members.
Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan said his force would “have to adjust” to the financial constraints now facing it.
“But I want to reassure the public that An Garda Síochána has the capability and skill sets to deal effectively and confidently with crime and subversion activity. I think an example of that was last weekend when we saw five men arrested with two firearms. These are intelligence-led operations; the focus of our concentration at the moment.”
Mr Shatter yesterday defended his decision to appoint barrister Oliver Connolly to the position of confidential recipient of information supplied by Garda whistleblowers. The post carries an annual payment of €12,500.
Referring to coverage of the appointment by some sections of the media, he said: “In the of tabloid journalism, of which politicians are stuck with nowadays, politicians apparently always have to be painted as either knaves or fools.”
The appointment has attracted adverse media attention because Mr Connolly donated €1,000 to Mr Shatter in 2007. Mr Shatter also trained as a mediator with Mr Connolly’s firm, Friary Law.
Mr Shatter strongly refuted suggestions the appointment compromised him in any way.
He said Mr Connolly’s legal services had been used by the two previous governments and was being used by the current Government “for one reason and one reason only – his competence and expertise”.
SCOTT AWARDS GARDAÍ AWARDED MEDALS FOR BRAVERY IN THE LINE OF DUTY
GARDAÍ WHO have tackled armed criminals and in some cases suffered life-threatening injuries in the line of duty have been awarded Scott bravery medals.
Garda David Comer and Garda James Hendrick, both of Howth station in north Dublin, were awarded bronze Scott medals for foiling an armed robbery at a premises on Main Street, Raheny, Dublin, in July 2005. They were both stabbed repeatedly when they disturbed two masked raiders in a house. Garda Comer suffered life-threatening punctures to his lungs.
“I thought I was dying,” Garda Comer said yesterday. “I could feel the life draining from me. As I was undergoing treatment at the Mater hospital, my family were told that I might not live.
“I owe my life to my colleague and the medical staff.”
The highest honours awarded at a special ceremony at the Garda College, Templemore, Co Tipperary, were two silver Scott medals for “exceptional courage and bravery” involving a risk to the recipients’ lives.
They were presented to two Galway gardaí – Garda Alan Keane and Garda Bernice Mulderrig – who overpowered a gang despite both having loaded guns pointed at their heads. The incident occurred at a house at Lackagh, Turloughmore, Co Galway, in February 2009, as they responded to a report of a disturbance.
Also presented with Scott bronze medals yesterday were two Dublin-based gardaí who intervened in a row between two men outside the Garda’s Westmanstown Sports and Leisure Club, Lucan, during which two firearms were produced and one of the men was shot.
Garda Alan Lynch of Ballymun station and Garda Jerome Twomey of Tallaght heard gunshots and then saw two men, both carrying handguns, wrestling on the ground of the car park on February 22nd, 2009.
One of the men put his gun to the head of the other and pulled the trigger, but the gun jammed. He then used the gun to beat the other man around the head. The gardaí overpowered the men, kicking the guns away and arrested the aggressor, who had brought the two weapons to the scene.
Also awarded a Scott medal yesterday was Garda Ethel O’Flynn, who foiled an armed post office robbery in Harold’s Cross, Dublin, in December 2009. She disarmed the raider of his knife and arrested him.
Collecting a bronze medal for bravery was Det Garda Donal Tully of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, who went undercover with a man who gardaí knew was about to be attacked in his car. Det Garda Tully hid in the car, confronting three raiders when they moved in to rob the driver at gunpoint at Blackrock, Dublin.
Also among the Scott bravery medal award-winners were four Donegal-based gardaí. Garda Sgt John McPhilips of Muff station, Garda Sgt Niall Cody and Garda Michael Burke of Burnfoot and Garda Séamus Marley of Carrigart foiled an armed robbery on a bookmaker in Muff in April 2005.
CONOR LALLY