Call for riot squads to deploy at night

It believes the deployment of public order units in Garda vans in towns and cities where violence is emerging as a serious problem would act as a deterrent.

Sgt Willie Gleeson from Cork City, who is also a member of Agsi's national executive, said the proposal needed to be acted on immediately to prevent on-street violence at night "getting out of hand".

"We have a tendency now of people milling around nightclubs, late bars and fast-food outlets after they close.

"A lot of them are not trouble-makers but tend to be there to wait for a fight to happen. They then egg-on the participants, and when gardaí arrive to tackle it they give them a very hard time."

Sgt Gleeson said the situation in some blackspot towns and cities had deteriorated to such an extent that when gardaí arrested people involved in fights they were forced to free them because they were assaulted by onlookers.

"They record the proceedings on mobile phones and post them on websites. We've had incidents of being bottled and receiving injuries. We have people trained in dealing with public order but we need them not only for planned events but on night duty to deal with whatever happens. We want them in each division."

Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy said the Garda had trained members to deal with public order incidents all over the country. A very significant number had been trained in the lead up to the EU accession celebrations in Dublin in 2004.

Agsi has also called for all members of the force to be given pepper or mace sprays so they can more effectively deal with public order issues.

Association president Paschal Feeney said: "The figure for assaults causing harm is hovering around 4,000 per year now; that's nearly 80 per week. And that's only reported headline crime. Many of those assaults are perpetrated on gardaí."

Mr Murphy said he believed "the jury was still out" on pepper sprays. He had asked one of his assistant commissioners to report to him on their effectiveness. He would study that report before making any recommendation to Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan.

Aside from public order issues, Mr Murphy said the Garda was committed to tackling organised crime and drug dealing. However, the community had a role to play in supplying the Garda with information on those involved in serious crime and anti-social behaviour.

He said Agsi's proposals to televise court cases involving serious crime, and proposals to use the Special Criminal Court for gangland crime, were a matter for the Minister for Justice.

However, on the proposal by Agsi that the Special Criminal Court should accept the evidence of a chief superintendent that an accused was involved in serious crime, he said: "That is a matter that the Minister for Justice in time may well have to consider. I can't put it any further than that."