Unions sceptical over Shatter’s force strength assurances

Middle-ranking gardaí are “convinced” the Government wants to cut force numbers “well below” the 13,000 minimum set by Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan.

The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors expressed bafflement at public statements by Justice Minister Alan Shatter yesterday when he rejected reports that garda numbers would be axedby up to 1,400 this year following a substantial cut in funding to the force.

Such a cut would bring the strength of the force from its current level of 13,400 to 12,000. Garda numbers stood at 14,500 at the beginning of 2011, but have been cut as part of the troika agreement.

“We are convinced the Government wants to see numbers well below 13,000,” said AGSI general secretary John Redmond.

“We have a direct line to management and we’ve been given information that he [Mr Shatter] wants to reduce numbers to 12,000.”

Mr Redmond said he did not understand the comments Mr Shatter made on RTÉ radio, in which he said there was no possibility of any such cut, and that natural retirements would bring the force “closer to 13,000” by year end.

“This is being lost in translation, quite clearly,” said Mr Redmond.

“We have a professional police officer with over 40 years of experience in a Garda organisation quite clearly receiving the message somewhere that he’s expected to reduce garda numbers by 1,400 and the minister’s saying that’s not going to happen this year. Something, somewhere, is wrong.

“I’m surprised the commissioner would come out and say this. I’ve never heard him speak in these terms before or senior management hold their hands up and say ‘if you go beyond this red line we are in serious bother with regard to providing a professional police service’. We are in a serious position here and it needs to be clarified as soon as possible.”

Mr Redmond said the EU average was one police officer per 314 people, and that 13,000 gardaí would represent one garda per 368 people.

John Parker of the Garda Representative Association said they wanted to know if the commissioner had sufficient resources to effectively police Ireland and whether he had sufficient funds to pay them.

“Garda numbers will continue to fall until long after recruitment commences — because it takes considerable time to professionally train gardaí,” said Mr Parker.

“Should these budget cuts reduce the number of gardaí further, it is our view that the public safety has already been compromised; and we are gravely concerned that our members have already been endangered.

“The members of An Garda Síochána, at the moment, feel as if they’re in some sort of a perverse laboratory experiment to see where is that straw that breaks the camel’s back.”