Entire Garda vehicle fleet ‘will crash to a halt in unison’

The Garda Síochána is facing a "ticking timebomb" as its ageing car fleet looks set to "crash" to a halt at the same time, the head of the Garda Inspectorate has warned.

Former US police boss Robert Olson said there will be a “big bill” to pay when this happens, but said that, despite resource problems, gardaí were still “doing a great job”.

The chief inspector at the Garda Inspectorate said he would be making strong recommendations to Justice Minister Frances Fitzgerald in a forthcoming report on resourcing. In a radio interview yesterday, Mr Olson said he had met Ms Fitzgerald within three days of her taking office. This was in contrast to the former minister, Alan Shatter, who, despite his requests, had not met him in three years.