Minister for Justice Michael McDowell is "hoodwinking" the public into accepting a police force that is not properly trained, a gardaí representative body warned today.
PJ Stone of the Garda Representative Association (GRA) said Mr McDowell's plans for a 4,000-strong unpaid volunteer Garda reserve force was a smokescreen to disguise the failure properly to equip and resource the Garda force.
"This is a smokescreen as far as we are concerned in relation to a force that is not being properly resourced.
PJ Stone of the Garda Representative Association
"There are members of the force going out on duty, and the feedback from our agms is that they are actually concerned for their own safety, and the best response from this Minister is to introduce a reserve force," Mr Stone said.
"The reality on the ground, even taking into account the numbers of people being introduced into the force, is that there are simply not enough members of the force to be detailed for duty."
He said Mr McDowell's response to bring in a reserve force was an admission there were not enough fully qualified members of the gardaí to do the job. Mr Stone said Mr McDowell was attempting to "hoodwink" the public into accepting a police force that was not properly trained.
Last night, Mr McDowell called upon Garda associations to back him on plans for a 4,000-strong volunteer garda reserve force and claimed the force had to prosper.
In response to fears expressed by bodies such as the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) and the GRA over powers of arrest, he acknowledged the reservists would be given the right to arrest for things such as obstruction and public order offences.
Mr McDowell said he had not yet drawn up detailed plans on training of the volunteers but admitted it would be to a lower level than professional gardaí. The AGSI said the volunteers would have only 24 hours training, in relation to basic law and Garda procedures yet would have full powers of arrest.
"The Minister is now going to introduce a scheme into Ireland where people will be expected to work for nothing and do a job which requires great training," he told RTÉ Radio.
Mr Stone said a member of the Garda almost died in an incident last year as he was not equipped with a stab-proof vest.