Rank and file gardaí say drink driving cases are being thrown out of court because of confusion over the use of handcuffs when arresting suspects.

The largest garda representative association has been forced to defend its decision to urge its members to vote yes in the same sex marriage referendum.

IT was a case of talking to the invisible man when the president of the organisation representing the country’s front-line gardaí addressed the Minister for Justice.

MINISTER for Justice Michael McDowell has been criticised for putting his promise to provide an extra 2,000 gardaí on the long finger again.