IF the reaction of people on the streets of Dublin is anything to go by, gardai have little public support for their demand for more pay.
About 700 of them marched through the city to the Dail yesterday, in the first such protest by members of the force.
It was a disappointing turnout compared with the "thousands" expected by the official Garda magazine, and the 2,000 who attended a recent protest rally.
Although the organisers said they were delighted with the turnout, even they will have been dismayed that the thin blue line proved so thin.
The marchers, representing just over 8 per cent of the 8,500 officers of garda rank, gathered at Parnell Square at 2.30 p.m. All were dressed in civilian clothes, and those asked how they were free to march made it clear that they were off duty.
As the gardai formed up behind their single banner for the walk down O'Connell Street, they were watched by a bemused Mitchel McLaughlin of Sinn Fein, who had emerged from a nearby hotel. But there was little public reaction to the protest.
A taximan at the O'Connell Street rank said the gardai were blocking the traffic. "If we do it there's bleedin' murder over it" he complained. But the gardai attracted loud support from a drunk at the Anna Livia fountain, who did not appear to know who they were.
There was some banter among the marchers, but overall the atmosphere was funereal, perhaps because the Minister for Justice, Mrs Owen, has already indicated the Government will not accede tot the demand for a commission on Garda pay.
The basic salary for a garda is £12,040, rising to £19,959 after 12 years' service.
As the marchers approached the Dail, more gardai moved metal barriers across the street. The marchers walked up to the barriers and stood in silence, watched by their uniformed colleagues.
The Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors, which had previously promised to participate, was not represented. The Garda Federation, representing about 2,500 officers, had also decided not to take part. This meant the marchers were principally members of the Garda Representative Association, whose acting general secretary, Mr P.J. Stone, said others had been "too yellow" to take part.
At the Dail, the protesters were met by a Fianna Fail group including former Minister for Justice, Mr Sean Doherty, former Taoiseach Mr Albert Reynolds, and the current justice spokesman, Mr John O'Donoghue TD.
There was no sign of the GRA's public relations adviser and Fianna Fail director of elections, Mr P.J. Mara.
The GRA leaders handed in a letter of protest to the Taoiseach, Mr Bruton, arguing that garda pay had fallen relative to that of other public servants, while their workload had grown and dangers of the job had increased.
Mr P.J. Stone, acting general secretary of the GRA, promised more action if the protest was not heeded. "A lot of people suggested that we were premature in marching down O'Connell Street, that we dealt our best trump first," he said. "Let us be quite clear, we haven't even shuffled the cards".