Doubt cast on public’s ability to sue gardaí

Legal experts have cast doubt on claims by Tánaiste Frances Fitzgerald that striking gardaí could be sued by people for damages suffered as a result of any failure to provide a police service tomorrow.

Speaking on Tuesday, the justice minister said: “Very importantly, any garda who is involved in the withdrawal of labour does not have the protections of our industrial relations legislation from being sued for any damages which might be caused.”

Eddie Keane, an employment law lecturer at University of Limerick, said the protection was understood to protect workers from being sued by their employer for any losses they suffer due to withdrawal of labour.