Leo Varadkar warns 'not enough gardaí to police armed riot’

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told a Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting that existing staffing levels in An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces may not be adequate for a situation like last week’s Dublin riots if participants were armed with 'guns or petrol bombs'. File picture

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has warned of a worst-case scenario of the country facing large-scale riots with people armed with petrol bombs and firearms.

At the Fine Gael parliamentary party meeting on Tuesday night, Mr Varadkar said existing staffing levels in An Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces may not be adequate for a situation like last week’s Dublin riots if participants were armed with “guns or petrol bombs”.