Garda poll finds low support for proposed reserve force

A new opinion poll has found a starkly different attitude to the proposed garda reserve than that contained in a government-commissioned survey published last week.

Just 47% of respondents to the the poll commissioned by the Garda Representative Association and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors say they support the concept of a fully-trained reserve force.

This is significantly lower than the figure of 73% contained in the government-commissioned study.

Elsewhere, the GRA and AGSI say 50% of respondents to their poll believe the current level of funding for the Gardaí is unsatisfactory.

They also say three-quarters of respondents do not want poorly trained reservists patrolling their areas, while four-in-five want the Gardaí to be properly resourced before the planned reserve is introduced.