No Guns For Garda Síochána

While guns are on the agenda again for the Irish police force - following the shooting of unarmed Garda traffic branch officer Paul Sherlock in September - there are no plans for uniformed officers to carry arms.

However, today, the Garda Inspectorate has insisted there was no need for a fully-armed police force despite the growing threat of gangland violence.

Kathleen O'Toole, chief inspector of the organisation set up to drive Garda reform, accepted there were concerns about officer safety but said alternatives to an armed response would be explored.

But Ms O'Toole said while ongoing reform will be modelled on police forces worldwide it would also be "culture-proofed" for the "unique Irish environment".

"For instance, we have great respect for the fact that the members of the Garda Síochána, police their communities while routinely unarmed," she told the annual Ceifin Conference, in Ennis, Co Clare.

"While we worry about the safety of police here, especially at a time when guns are more prevalent, we hope that they will always remain routinely unarmed.

"We will continue to recommend strategies to enhance their safety in hopes that we'll never have to suggest arming all of the police here."

(BMcC)