McDowell’s garda plans are ‘nonsense’

JUSTICE MINISTER Michael McDowell’s plans to free up gardaí and put them back on the beat are “nonsense” because of the public service hiring freeze, garda representatives said yesterday.

Up to 90 civilian vacancies are already unfilled in An Garda Síochána because of the public service embargo. There are doubts as to whether the Government will actually hire all the clerical workers needed to fill an additional 219 administrative posts currently held by gardaí. Mr McDowell wants to free up those gardaí and put them back on the streets.

“There are 80-90 vacancies for civilians in the force, who have not been recruited because of the public service embargo. Garda management are crying out for them,” said PJ Stone, general secretary of the Garda Representative Association.