Garda task force may track criminal gangs on rail network

The Oireachtas Committee on Justice is to ask the acting Garda Commissioner, Noirín O’Sullivan, if there is a need to set up a dedicated garda unit to patrol the country’s trains.

It comes after news that gangs from Dublin are using trains to carry out robbing sprees and aggravated burglaries in other parts of the country.

Committee chairman and Fine Gael TD David Stanton, said the next time the country’s most senior garda appears before it, she will be asked what steps should be taken to combat such gangs.

Fianna Fáil justice spokesman Niall Collins said that a discussion should take place on setting up an overall body, similar to the Transport Police in Britain, which has nearly 3,000 officers dedicated to stamping out criminal activity on trains.

“We have a Garda Traffic Corps and Airport Police but no dedicated police on trains,” said Mr Collins. “I think it is something that the new Independent Garda Authority should also look at.”

However, Mr Stanton said that, in the present financial climate, it might be more feasible to encourage more covert garda patrols on trains rather than set up a dedicated unit which would strip gardaí from other units.

The total strength of the garda force is hovering around 13,000, which is its lowest figure for several years.

Former commissioner Martin Callinan said it would be dangerous to let the figure fall below 13,000.

“I wouldn’t have a difficulty with more gardaí travelling on trains, be they uniformed or plain-clothes,” said Mr Stanton.

Senior gardaí in Cork have said that gangs are using trains to avoid garda road checkpoints.

The gangs have also hit Mr Stanton’s hometown of Midleton because it has a rail link. Mallow and Cobh have also seen a rise in crime because they have rail links. Parts of Kerry have also suffered, as well as Limerick.

“If this is ongoing and rampant then we would have to encourage more plain-clothes gardaí to travel on trains to stamp it out,” he said.

Drug traffickers are also using trains to transport their wares. A few weeks ago, gardaí in Mallow seized drugs which were being brought into the town by train.