McDowell commends gardaí

JUSTICE MINISTER Michael McDowell yesterday gave his “full backing” to gardaí at the siege in Gort, Co Galway.

He commended their bravery and hit out at those who were questioning the handling of the operation by gardaí.

“The gardaí have my full backing in these situations,” he said. “There is a tendency in Ireland, at the moment, to consider that the person who is threatening the gardaí and firing at them and the like is the victim and, somehow, that the gardaí are the perpetrators in these situations. Nothing could be further from the truth.”