Coalition colleagues distance themselves from Varadkar's comments on arming gardaí

OUT OF STEP: The Green and Fianna Fáil leaders Eamon Ryan and Micheál Martin have distanced themselves from comments about arming An Garda Síochána by Fine Gael leader Leo Varadkar, centre. Picture: Sam Boal
Weekend comments by Mr Varadkar have drawn opposition from his fellow Government leaders, coalition TDs, and Garda representative associations, who made it clear there is no appetite for such a move.
“That culture and tradition of an unarmed police force has served both An Garda Síochána and the Irish people well,” he added.
Society has changed but a fully armed force would be a step too far for most @AGSI_Ireland colleagues & doesn’t match the @gardainfo ethos of policing by consent..unlikely that this would be sought other than to expand already existing specialist units pic.twitter.com/InK0EKMUeq
— antoinette (@antoabs) November 27, 2022