‘They wouldn’t be prepared’ – major resources warning over garda ability to tackle repeat incident of Dublin riots | 83H1FWI | 2024-04-28 00:08:01
'They wouldn't be prepared' – major resources warning over garda ability to tackle repeat incident of Dublin riots | 83H1FWI | 2024-04-28 00:08:01
FRONTLINE gardai are not prepared for a repeat of a major public order incident like the Dublin riots, it's warned.
Havoc descended on the capital last November, as rank-and-file officers were attacked and their vehicles with squad cars set alight.
Speaking to the media ahead of the Garda Representative Association's annual conference kicking off tomorrow in Westport, Co Mayo, its deputy general secretary James Morrisroe raised concerns about resources and training in place.
He explained that in such events, the Garda Public Order Units are deployed.
But for major incidents like the Dublin riots, which was sparked on the day and was not a planned event, cops who are first on the scene are not prepared.
Mr Morrisroe said: "The only way to be ready for that is if you had the numbers and the resources there.
"I'm not aware of any specific training for the frontline currently.
"If something like that were to happen again, if they had notice of such an event, the Public Order units from all over the country would be mobilised.
"But it will be just a specialist units that will be brought forward.
"You'd be struggling for resources on something on that scale again, definitely.
"Unless frontline gardai had noticed or the resources were there on hand, no they wouldn't be prepared."
GRA President Brendan O'Connor also said that a motion will be raised at their conference calling for all frontline officers to be given helmets.
<!-- End of Brightcove Player --> He said: "We're often finding ourselves in the situation where the Health and Safety Authority would ask us to preserve a scene where unfortunately there's been an incident in the workplace.
"So you're not allowed onto the building site without a hardhat.
"But we had members detailed that day to go into a hostile environment, where missiles were being thrown with no protective head gear.
"The days of saying 'what the optics of that are', is not good enough. We believe the risk should be assessed and members appropriately trained and protected with equipment."
General Secretary of the GRA, Ronan Slevin, again expressed his disappointment that Justice Minister Helen McEntee is not attending the conference.
Her snub came off the back of the association not inviting Garda Commissioner Drew Harris following a breakdown in trust.
Mr Slevin said the GRA would like McEntee to be more "hands on" with issues.
He added: "There's nothing being done by the Government to address the increasing numbers of members retiring and resigning.
"It's very hard to understand the Minister's position in not attending the conference and not hearing the issues that she has a direct input on from the member's themselves."
More >> https://ift.tt/LFoAU2W Source: MAG NEWS
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