Cutting gardaí to 13,000 ‘will hurt public’

GOVERNMENT plans to cut the Garda force to 13,000 will lead to increased attacks on the public, according to the organisation which represents rank and file gardaí.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) says it is seriously concerned that such a reduction in numbers will play into the hands of criminals and put the public and gardaí themselves at increasing risk of serious attacks.

GRA president Damien McCarthy said that it was only a few years ago that various political parties were advocating the force’s strength should be increased to 16,000.