Minister to seek approval on sending four gardaí to France

Unions have warned justice minister Jim O'Callaghan that gardaí could have to give up as many as 71 rest days to police the EU presidency.  File Picture: Sasko Lazarov/Photocall Ireland

Justice minister Jim O’Callaghan will soon seek government approval to deploy four gardaí to France for parts of the summer.

This is despite garda unions warning that leave and rest days will be cancelled during the European presidency.

The Irish Examiner understands that, under plans to be discussed by Cabinet in the coming weeks, Mr O’Callaghan will seek approval to deploy four gardaí to France following a request from Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly.

This will include one garda being sent to Le Mont Saint-Michel, Normandy, for three weeks.

Another two gardaí will be deployed to Nice for another month, while one garda will be sent to Giverny.

Tourist-heavy areas

It is understood that the gardaí will carry out general patrolling in uniform with their French counterparts.

They will assist Irish citizens who require assistance in tourist-heavy areas.

Gardaí have been deployed to France for several summers in a row, with gardaí previously being sent to Paris in 2023 to police Disneyland and the Rugby World Cup.

The deployments come as garda unions expressed concerns about gardaí potentially having to give up as many as 71 rest days to police the EU presidency.

As reported by this newspaper in April, James Morrisroe, the deputy general secretary of the Garda Representative Association, said that gardaí will be “stretched to the pin of their collar”.

• Louise Burne is the Political Correspondent with the Irish Examiner.