McDowell: garda reserve plan not ‘mad hatter’ scheme

SENIOR garda criticism of the garda reserve plan was wide of the mark, Justice Michael McDowell said yesterday.

AGSI president Joe Dirwan described the plans to create a 900-strong reserve by next September as a “mad hatter” scheme.

Yesterday, the minister called on the AGSI to engage positively in that process and to recognise the benefits a garda reserve will bring to the force and the public it serves.

The minister reiterated that the Garda Síochána Act 2005 provides for the establishment of a Garda Siochána Reserve to assist the force in performing its functions. “Its purpose is to supplement the work of members of the Garda Síochána. It is in no way intended as a substitute for increased garda recruitment, as the current recruitment of 2,000 extra gardaí clearly demonstrates. In bringing the force up to record strength, the minister has also provided record resources for pay and overtime to the members.”

Mr Dirwan said the move would undermine the force. “These people will not be qualified, they will not be as professional as the existing members, they will not have the same training, they will be a local police force mandated to police their local communities, this is the first time in the history of the State where you’ll have local police, policing their local area.”

He said this could cause major safety concerns for members of the reserve.

“Full-time members of An Garda Síochána have been subjected to intimidation and attack. The Garda Compensation Act only applies to part-time members for actions or incidents that occur during their course of duty, they will not be provided with any protection.”

He said reserves would not only be involved in traffic duties and sporting events: “Those reserves will be deployed to supplement existing forces. They will have full powers and duties and responsibilities of a full-time member, they will be requested and obliged to carry out arrests, carry out searches, go into houses and search for drugs or whatever with the full-time members of An Garda Síochána in their local areas.

“What the minister said was they would assist the garda in all their visible duties.”

He added that reserve forces had not worked elsewhere in the world. “We have no confidence in it.”

The Garda Commissioner’s assessment of an appropriate Garda Reserve strength is at the level of 4,000.

The minister said he fully supports the Commissioner in his objective, and has asked him as a first step to seek the recruitment of 900 Reserve members by September 2006. The Garda Reserve will supplement the strength of An Garda Síochána and, in particular, assist it in developing close links with local communities, the minister said.