Gardaí will not be asked to help PSNI police G8 summit

Gardaí will not be requested to cross the Border to assist the PSNI in providing security for world leaders and in managing protests at the G8 summit in Northern Ireland in June, the PSNI has stated.

They will, however, provide support “in their own jurisdiction” during the summit.

The PSNI requires an additional 3,000 officers to ensure the summit passes off peacefully and to guarantee the safety of leaders such as President Barack Obama, Angela Merkel and, if he comes, President Vladimir Putin of Russia.

British police

The Police Federation of England and Wales, however, has not given the go-ahead to its members to volunteer to join their PSNI colleagues in policing the summit, which will be held at the Lough Erne Hotel and golf resort near Enniskillen in Co Fermanagh.

Police representatives in Britain have concerns over the safety of officers, the dissident republican threat, and pay and conditions. Some have asked officers not to volunteer until these issues are resolved.

This raised the issue of whether the Garda, which has a good relationship with the PSNI, could be invited to assist in policing the event on June 17th and 18th.

“While we fully understand the genuine concerns of the police federations in GB, we are confident that we can work through any of the issues or concerns that they have raised,” the PSNI said in a statement yesterday evening.

These summits attract protests over issues such as globalisation and austerity. The dissident threat is an additional factor in Northern Ireland, although security and intelligence insiders believe it unlikely dissidents would target the summit due to the adverse publicity it could generate.

Meanwhile, former Scotland Yard commander John O’Connor on BBC Radio Ulster’s Nolan Show said yesterday there was an issue over whether the G8 should be held in Northern Ireland when, he argued, the PSNI had failed to contain the disorder over the flags issue in recent months.