Taoiseach says giving more gardaí guns would lead to escalation in armed crimes

Leo Varadkar: 'If we were to arm all of our gardaí, you would then see an escalation in the extent to which people who commit crimes are armed.' Picture: Damien Storan/PA

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has said arming rank-and-file gardaí would lead to an escalation of weapons being used in crimes.

Asked by reporters if he would suggest arming more gardaí to Commissioner Drew Harris, Mr Varadkar said: “No, I won’t be suggesting it.”

He said the existence of armed units in every division meant there were more armed gardai than in the past.

If we were to arm all of our gardai, you would then see an escalation in the extent to which people who commit crimes are armed

The Taoiseach said these units were necessary but added that he has heard from Commissioner Harris and rank-and-file gardai that “having an unarmed police force is something of real value”.

He said: “If we were to arm all of our gardaí, you would then see an escalation in the extent to which people who commit crimes are armed.

“So I think having an unarmed police force makes sense and that’s the advice we’re getting very strongly from the gardai themselves.

“That’s not to say that we don’t need to invest in the armed support units and the ERU (emergency response unit) because we do.”