THE use of the Army's armoured cars for transporting cash was called for by the Fianna Fail spokesman on law reform, Mr Willie O'Dea.
In an adjournment debate, he referred to last Friday's fatal shooting in Adare, Co Limerick, and said those responsible for the outrage had vast superiority in terms of numbers and firepower. They also had the advantage of surprise. "Essentially, the arrangements to protect large consignments of cash in transit are demonstrably not safe," he said. The Army had a considerable amount of weaponry, including armoured cars, which should be used.
The Minister of State, Mr Bernard Allen (for the Minister for Justice), said 27,000 cash transits had Army escorts last year. Security was reviewed by the Garda after any crime and that was done in this case.
The lives of plainclothes gardai charged with providing security for cash transits were being placed in deadly jeopardy, Mr O'Dea said. The time to change the system was long past. He suggested that the routes and times of delivery be changed and security be strengthened.
Was it justifiable, he asked, to continue to expose the lives of gardai to the mercies of ruthless, sadistic criminals who obviously had no regard for human suffering or human life? Potential assailants, whether paramilitary or ordinary criminals, knew the type of security that would accompany cash in transit and they knew the routes.