Ombudsman must be established

The controversy generated by the Prime Time programme about allegations of physical abuse by some members of the gardaí serves to underline the urgency in the establishment of a garda ombudsman.

No one denies that the force has to deal with an increasingly violent society, a fact highlighted by the destruction of more than 800 firearms yesterday. The cache, gathered over a number of years, included sub-machine guns, hand guns, Kalashnikov AK-47 rifles, a quantity of rocket-propelled grenade launchers and sawn-off shotguns.

Undoubtedly, it was a frightening array of weaponry and while it is reassuring that it was destroyed by the gardaí, it begs the question as to how much more is out there and available to those involved in serious crime.