Garda reserve may be established

The Minister for Justice, Mr McDowell, is considering the establishment of a Garda reserve force in a radical move which would free up manpower to fight crime and help cut Garda overtime, which currently runs at over €80 million annually.

The move comes at a time when Mr McDowell is under increasing pressure to combat random street crime by returning more gardaí to the beat.

It is understood the reserve force would be made up of those contracted to work a small number of hours per week. Reserve members of the force would be deployed at major sporting and public events where a significant Garda presence is required but where crime-fighting skills are rarely needed.

The reserve force could also undertake many static Garda duties which currently require the deployment of significant numbers of gardaí at the expense of more conventional policing tasks, such as on-street patrols.

Those static duties include the deployment of officers outside Government buildings and other locations.

It is envisaged the reserve force would also undertake escort duties, ferrying prisoners to and from court and on any other outings from prison, such as hospital visits. It was not clear if the reserves would be asked to provide an escort for money being transferred between banks. Currently, very large sums are escorted under armed guard.

The reserve force would not only return full-time gardaí to the beat but would also reduce Garda overtime, which cost the State just under €84 million in 2001, the last year for which full figures are available. During 2001, the level of overtime paid to members of the force jumped from €60 million in 2000, mainly because of costs associated with policing the foot-and-mouth outbreak.

Garda overtime now accounts for more than 40 per cent of the total overtime paid to public-sector workers every year.

In recent weeks, Mr McDowell has also outlined a number of plans which will require a much more effective use of Garda manpower in the absence of increased recruitment to the force of full-time officers. Those plans include a major drive to reduce drink-related violence by increasing surveillance on pubs.

Both Mr McDowell and the Garda Commissioner Mr Pat Byrne have already announced a major review of the use of Garda manpower. As part of that review, the 24-hour guard for all ex-Taoisigh is to be abolished. The mooted reserve force forms part of the overall review.

A spokesman for Mr McDowell could not say when the reserve force might be established or how many members it would recruit. "It is still very early days but it is definitely something which is under consideration," he said.