The Tánaiste and the Garda Commissioner yesterday condemned a reckless shooting in the North which left a PSNI officer with gunshot wounds to his arm.

A Garda staff association has said it is “a matter for the Garda commissioner” to clarify any “murkiness” over claims made to the O’Higgins inquiry by her lawyers that Sergeant Maurice McCabe was motivated by “malice”.

Recruitment to An Garda Síochána will begin today.

THE very special role An Garda Siochána play was underlined yesterday when Justice Minister Dermot Ahern, despite facing the greatest economic crisis in the history of this State, announced that recruitment to the force will resume before the end of the year.

GARDAÍ have claimed that they can predict the exact cause of most car crashes even when there are no witnesses, due to the expansion of forensic training within the force.

GARDA Commissioner Fachtna Murphy has made changes in senior ranks of the force in the southern region.

The Garda Press Office should be made up of civilians to get gardaí behind desks back on the beat, it was claimed today.

Jimmy Woulfe, Mid-West Correspondent

AN increased number of gardaí, more funding for child-care places and legal aid services and a plan to build a central criminal court complex are key priorities for Justice Minister Michael McDowell next year.

Declan Power and Neans McSweeney

The Government must live up to its promise of getting 2,000 extra police officers on the streets, members of the force were demanding today.

GARDAÍ will today launch a blistering attack on the Government over its failure to deliver on pre-election promises to beef up force numbers.

Provisional Garda figures for the first quarter of the year show a slight fall in reported crime.

The Garda Siochana pats itself on the back later today with the conferring of degrees on senior officers.