The "type of firepower" and the "type of operation" involved in last week's Dalkey security van robbery were a major concern to gardai, the Commissioner, Mr Pat Byrne, said yesterday.
Mr Byrne was speaking at a press briefing with the Commissioner of the London Metropolitan Police, Sir Paul Condon, who was visiting Dublin to discuss British-Irish police co-operation. The commissioners also discussed the latest intelligence on the risk of a terrorist attack in Britain.
The use of AK47 rifles, the level of preparation by the Dalkey gang, and their use of bullet-proof vests "cause you to be concerned in relation to the mind-set of people coming to carry out a robbery", Mr Byrne said.
Asked if gardai were worried that part of the IRA arsenal was available to dissident republican paramilitaries, he said terrorist weapons had been known to "fall into ordinary criminals' hands as well as paramilitary criminals'."
On decommissioning, he said it was accepted there were explosives and weapons "hidden away"; that they were not being used "is a bonus."
Sir Paul said co-operation between the i Garda and his force was "the best I've ever known". The forces were working together on fraud, serious crime, drug crime and security. He said the British government was considering setting up a Criminal Assets Bureau and he had been impressed by the Irish bureau. "It is a vital operation and has had significant impact in Ireland in reducing serious crime," he said.
Part of the reason for his visit was to get an update on the security situation and the threat of a paramilitary attack in Britain, he said. There had been very close co-operation between the Garda, the Met and the RUC.
Mr Byrne said there was no definite figure on the number of paedophiles who may have come to Ireland to escape the British sex offenders' register.
He said he still had not seen a recent report prepared for the EU which stated that Ireland had the second-highest level of paedophilia on the Internet. "I'd be very anxious to see this report and to study it." The question of a paedophile register was being addressed by the Government.
Asked about the Stephen Lawrence case in Britain, where it emerged yesterday that the only police officer facing disciplinary charges is retiring early, Sir Paul said the officer had been entitled to retire from the service.
"Clearly, I can understand people's views but he is exercising his discretion, which he's entitled to do." He said he could not respond to reports that the family of the black teenager murdered in 1993 were going to sue him.
