Close the loophole: Unidentifiable security staff

Last September, gardaí were rightly criticised for concealing identity numbers during a housing protest in Dublin. That some officers at that protest wore balaclavas added a sinister air to a straightforward operation.

That garda headquarters suggested that balaclavas were protective clothing showed an unacceptable disdain for legitimate concerns.

The then newly-appointed Garda Commissioner Drew Harris quickly intervened and insisted that gardaí operating at public events do so openly and in a way that they can be identified. His intervention was welcome and indicative of a new culture.

Last week’s eviction in Roscommon highlighted a legal anomaly in this area. Private security guards working at a nightclub or elsewhere must be identifiable, but there is no such obligation on those enforcing evictions.

Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan is reviewing this loophole and it is important that it is closed immediately. If gardaí must be identifiable then private operators must be too — especially as many more evictions are expected.