Uniformed gardaí 'not equipped' to deal with riots, says GRA after Coolock clashes

Members of the Garda Public Order Unit clearing the entrance to the site in Coolock this weekend. Photo: Eamonn Farrell/Rollingnews.ie

The Garda Representative Association has hit out at garda management claiming that some of their members are “not equipped” to deal with riot situations.

Niall Hodgins, vice president of the Garda Representative Association, was speaking after three members of the force were injured in protests in Coolock last night at a disused factory in Coolock earmarked to house asylum seekers. 

The violent protests followed a week of unrest at the site which began last Monday. The Public Order Unit was deployed after a fire broke out at the site and a way had to be cleared to allow Dublin Fire Brigade access to the site.

Speaking to reporters earlier, Niall Hodgkins said there were “equipment deficiencies” when it came to uniformed members policing such events.

“There is a myriad of reasons why I believe they are not equipped, and one would be the equipment deficiencies in respect of equipment that they lack going to these scenes."

Training issues

“I would suggest a training issue as well. I know many years ago every single garda would have left Templemore (training college) with foundation training in respect of dealing with these riotous situations.” 

He said that he has been receiving complaints from his colleagues about a lack of protective equipment while attending the scene of a protest.

“Linked with last Monday’s events, all during the week, colleagues were talking to me, about construction workers not allowed on to that site without a hard hat” he said.

“The fact that the security man, who was injured was being dealt with by ambulance personnel who were wearing hard hats, Dublin fire brigade were present on site wearing hard hats.

Yet the men and women of an Garda Siochána that I represent were sent out on the front line there, with soft hats, with rocks, missiles, fireworks raining down on top of their heads, with no hard hats and it's incredulous that someone somewhere made a decision not to issue gardaí leaving Templemore with riot helmets.

He also added that they sought a meeting with the Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to air those concerns.

“The garda commissioner deflected concerns that we had with the guards to the late deployment of the public order unit last Monday” he said.

“Now we have sought a meeting with the garda commissioner and are waiting to meet him to address those concerns that we have said to him.

“So, I understand that he should be afforded an opportunity to meet us, and we’ll see what his reply is there.

“Again, I’m back to the whole issue of equipment deficiencies.” 

He was critical about the lack of resources and recruitment and tentation issues around the gardaí."

In a statement, An Garda Síochána said: "All three Gardaí who received injuries are recovering and a full array of welfare supports has been made available to them."