In their own words
Garda John Duffy
Harcourt Terrace, Dublin
"I don't think people will give up their spare time as easily as the Government seems to think. It will happen, but we won't co-operate with it and I don't think it will work in the long term. A lot of people may join at first but give them 12 months and we'll see if they will keep coming out for a few hours on a Friday and Saturday night. I think if people join the reserves and then join the full-time force, others may always remember them as reservists."
Garda Christopher Noonan
Irishtown, Dublin
"A lot of issues haven't been thought through. I think that in some stations, where there may only be a small number of gardaí on the beat or out in cars, there simply will not be enough full-time members to supervise reservists. I think reservists will just be left in the back of a car or in the station to do paperwork. People will get bored with that. It will also be hard to hang on to reservists in the long term."
Garda Ned Hogan
Waterford city
"Michael McDowell is playing a numbers game and we are the ones that are more concerned with what the standards within the force will be like after it is introduced. He is talking about having 900 in place by September, but I would think that's unrealistic. I doubt if they will be able to recruit, train and kit out reservists in that time. You would also have to be concerned at the type of people that this is going to attract. Will we end up with people on a power trip?"
Garda Jimmy Wafer
Thomastown, Kilkenny
"I'm happy the GRA has backed down from statements that we are going to target TDs in marginal constituencies. But we still won't co-operate with the reserves.
"I cannot see people of quality . . . giving up their time to do for free what we are paid to do. Experience elsewhere indicates that reservists stay for around 3½ years.
"Reserve forces in a few other countries seem to be falling apart."
Garda Ollie Whyte
Millstreet, Galway
"We heard the Garda Commissioner saying that if people started getting involved in politics, he won't be slow to act and wouldn't be sitting on the fence. I have no problem with his leadership, but I'd be happier if he was as quick to support us in this campaign. Like at lot of us, I don't see how a situation will develop where people will do our jobs for nothing - I just can't see it. It is a hard enough job to do when you are getting paid."