THE GARDA Commissioner has rejected calls from some rank and file gardaí to arm uniformed officers.
Fachtna Murphy said that within days of taking over as commissioner last November, he publicly stated he was in favour of maintaining the Garda as a predominantly unarmed force.
His view had not changed in the interim.
There were already more than 3,000 members trained to use firearms and dedicated units were also available to provide the armed back-up needed from time to time.
"I want properly trained units to deal with areas where policing needs are utmost," he said at the annual conference of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) in Tullow, Co Carlow.
"Places like Finglas and Limerick in recent times have demanded the ERU and other armed units.
"I'm satisfied with the number we have trained. I want to ensure that they get the best training, the commissioner said."
New regional response units were also being established around the country, he said. These are to consist, in some cases, of uniformed officers who would arm themselves when serious situations arose and contain an armed incident, pending the ERU's arrival.
The plans, which were first mooted by the Garda Inspectorate, have provoked debate among members of the force over the issue of arming all uniform members as gun crime increases.
GRA deputy general secretary John Healy has questioned whether the Garda could continue to "enjoy the luxury" of having unarmed members.
Mr Healy said he favoured arming more gardaí, including some uniformed members such as Garda motorbike riders, who were often first to the scene of a crime.
GRA delegates yesterday debated the issue, with the vast majority of speakers opposed to any members in uniform carrying guns.
Garda Ultan Sherlock, from the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) east division, said that An Garda Síochána had failed to provide advance vehicle training to all of its members, and would be similarly incapable of providing firearms training.
Garda Eoin Connell, from the Cavan/Monaghan division, questioned whether there were a sufficient number of detectives, all of whom carry firearms, to provide armed back-up to their unarmed colleagues in some divisions. "There is no immediate, rapid response, armed back-up," he said regarding his own division.
Garda Dave Levins, from DMR west, was one of the few delegates who supported the arming of uniformed gardaí.
"Why should we carry guns? Because our opponents do," he said.
Garda Jim Keogh, from Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin, said international studies had shown that arming a police force led to an increase in gun crime.
He said arming uniformed gardaí would make them a target for armed criminals.
Garda Aonghus Moloney, of the Special Detective Unit, said arming gardaí "will not make us bullet proof".
He told delegates that the force had come through the Troubles without being an armed force and now was not the time to change the status quo.
Garda John Parker, from the Cork north division, said there should be more plain clothes armed officers conducting patrols, waiting to be called to assist in serious incidents.
Referring to the Garda Reserve, the commissioner said he did not share the GRA's view that the reserve was a costly venture that was not working.
He said the reserve already had some 300 members with plans to recruit up to 250 additional personnel this year.
