Minister: Garda contingency plans 'make sense'

Justice Minister Alan Shatter said today that it "makes sense" for the Garda Commissioner to make contingency plans, including the closure of stations, to deal with reduced officer numbers.

Under the terms of the Troika bailout, more than 1,000 gardaí have to be cut from the force, while a raft of retirements is expected before new rules on pensions come into force next February.