Rural and urban divide splits officers in Garda gun debate

THE debate on whether the country’s uniformed gardaí should be armed split on an urban/rural divide yesterday.

Some members of the force in gun crime-ridden cities were in favour of the move, but the Garda Representative Association (GRA) debate heard a majority of their country cousins didn’t want to go down that road.

Commissioner Fachtna Murphy reiterated he wants to keep all uniformed members of the force unarmed, as they have been since the foundation of the state.