Irish Examiner view: There is no clamour to routinely arm members of An Garda Síochána 

Policing by consent is the starting point for Ireland's force and it should stay that way, despite the Tánaiste's comments

A quarter of An Garda Síochána's members are already licensed to carry weapons, and the force also has regional armed units and the elite emergency response team. Stock picture: Colin Keegan/Collins

It would be interesting to know what political straws in the wind persuaded Leo Varadkar to play the law-and-order card when he attested that he would not stand in the way of a request to arm gardaí if it was sent to him by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris, while agreeing with the proposition that Ireland needs an armed force.

Times are dangerous and there was general revulsion at social media footage of the recent concerted attack on two officers. It is usual for fear of crime to increase at times of growing societal anxiety and unease.

Yet there does not appear to be general public clamour for increasing the firepower of An Garda Síochána. A quarter of the force is already licensed to carry weapons. Then there are the regional armed units and elite emergency response team.

While there can always be debate about whether numbers are sufficient, the occasions on which guns are drawn, much less discharged, are extremely small as a percentage of overall activity. 

There is much merit in not making weaponry a standard feature of ordinary policing and this view appears to be shared by the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, which said it was “a step too far” and out of keeping with the ethos of the force.

Such matters will be regularly reviewed anyway, but if policing is carried out with the consent of ordinary citizens, then there is no reason to up the ante at the moment.