Gardaí back call for points suspension

RANK-AND-FILE gardaí have backed a call by their bosses to suspend the expansion of penalty points until the scheme has been computerised.

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) said they did not support the introduction of new penalties while records still have to be compiled manually.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) said the current penalty points system was inadequate.

"It is just a Mickey Mouse approach and if middle management are not happy with the present system it will be very difficult for our members to implement it," GRA general secretary PJ Stone said.

The GRA annual conference will be held next month in Galway and Mr Stone said an emergency motion could yet be tabled calling for support of the stance taken by the Garda middle management.

Mr Stone said the delay in getting the penalty points system computerised was "ridiculous" especially since the money had been provided.

He rejected claims that any of his 12,000 members would be looking for extra money to implement the new penalty points system.

The GRA general secretary also rejected media claims that 4,000 gardaí that could be on the beat were in fact desk-bound. He said only 229 were desk-bound under a new agreement.

But he hit out at the Government's failure to recruit the 2,000 extra Gardaí promised before the last general election.

Mr Stone said the GRA estimates that at least 3,000 extra gardaí are needed to bring us in line with average European policing levels.

"We have been challenging the Government for some time to commission an independent survey that would give us the correct figure for the numbers of gardaí needed but we have received no response," the GRA general secretary said.

The GRA believe there is not point in commissioning any more reports until they know the correct number of gardaí needed here.