The Garda Commissioner's plans to withdraw full-time Garda protection from the homes of former Taoisigh, including Mr Charles Haughey, are likely to be opposed by some of the ex-office holders.
Twenty-four home protection officers will be withdrawn on a phased basis over coming months but only after consultation had taken place, the Garda Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, confirmed in Galway yesterday.
He discussed the issue a month ago with the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Mr McDowell. "The Minister agreed with the Commissioner's assessment, and he is going ahead with it," said a Department of Justice spokesman.
An average of five gardaí are rostered to protect each house, though the Department of Justice emphasised that former Taoisigh will not lose the armed Garda driver each of them enjoys, along with a State-supplied Mercedes.
However, the Department of the Taoiseach adopted a slightly different tone in response to questions. "The issue is being reviewed, but no decision has been made yet," said the Government spokeswoman.
Former Fine Gael Taoiseach Mr John Bruton was clearly irked by a newspaper report suggesting security may be removed and contacted an official in the Taoiseach's office immediately. "I was told that there was no foundation whatsoever to the story," he said. Refusing to deal with "hypothetical queries", Mr Bruton said: "I made an inquiry to the Taoiseach's office. I would have thought that that was the most appropriate place for a former Taoiseach to raise such a matter."
Former Fianna Fáil Taoiseach Mr Albert Reynolds said: "I don't know anything at all about it. What would be the logic of removing them? I will wait to see what they do. There is no point getting into a hypothetical argument."
Another former Taoiseach, Dr Garret FitzGerald, is believed to be the only one of the former heads of government not to avail of home protection since he moved from a house on Palmerston Road, Dublin some years ago. Clearly irked by Mr McDowell's decision to publicise the issue, Dr FitzGerald said he would "like to make it clear that, as the Minister should be aware, he requested and secured the removal of any protection on his home some years ago".
Speaking after he addressed the Association of Garda Sergeants' and Inspectors' annual conference in Galway, Mr Byrne said the cuts were part of efforts to use the Garda Síochána's manpower more effectively.
Similar protection is not offered to former prime ministers in many other countries, said the Commissioner: "We will also be looking at other full-time static posts in other areas such as outside Government buildings." He said the full-time protection provided for the homes of other senior State figures, which include former presidents and judges, would also be reviewed.
The Commissioner is under increasing pressure to put more gardaí on the streets in the wake of crime figures last week that revealed a dramatic upsurge in the numbers of serious assaults.
The recruitment of civilians had proceeded slowly, partly because of the opposition of some gardaí to being moved out of office duties, said former minister for justice Mrs Nora Owen.
"There seems to be a certain amount of feather-nesting going on. They could use a lot more of them. For instance, the taking of film out of speed cameras does not need to be done by a garda," said Mrs Owen.
In an interview with the Evening Herald yesterday, the Minister for Justice was quoted as saying that it is ridiculous that five gardaí are used every week to protect each former Taoiseach's home. Mr Bruton had such 24-hour protection on his Dunboyne, Co Meath home even "though he is under no threat whatsoever", the newspaper quoted Mr McDowell as saying.