Garda Commissioner: More needs to be done with fewer resources

The Garda Commissioner, Martin Callinan, is warning that the force cannot be immune from the current financial environment or the reductions in public spending.

Mr Callinan made the remarks in his address to delegates at the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors annual conference in Sligo.

Meanwhile, the middle-ranking Gardaí have passed motions to reject the revised Croke Park Agreement, and to step up their campaign of opposition.

The Garda Commissioner is using his speech at the AGSI conference to praise the work and achievements of Gardaí, who say morale in the force has hit "an all-time low".

Mr Callinan said he fully understands the difficulties his officers are experiencing, and their fears and anxieties.

However he said: "It is a stark reality that more needs to be done with fewer resources."

Commissioner Callinan said the force "is not immune from the current financial challenges or the reductions in public spending".

Amid a campaign of opposition to the new Croke Park deal, he said Gardaí must continue to be professional, and he has advised against embarking on a road which would jeopardise the relationship the force has with the community.