Establishing a Garda Reserve and a Garda inspectorate are among the proposals for change within the police force.
Minister for Justice Michael MacDowell says that static work, like guarding government buildings, places considerable demands on limited Garda resources. Proposals to introduce more roles for civilians to support the work of the Garda Síochána are being examined. The minister is looking at similar models across the world to find out which are the most effective. The legislation provides a framework by which a reserve could be established.
Recent controversies have put pressure on the minister to establish a better complaints procedure. A new three-person inspectorate will be entirely independent, according to the minister. Civil liberties groups say this is no match for the Northern Ireland Police Ombudsman. Aisling Reidy, Irish Council for Civil Liberties, is critical of the possibility that at least one of the member of the inspectorate could be former member of An Garda Síochána. Joe Costello, Labour Party, says that the plan is short on detail with no mention of a budget.
One of the biggest problems facing the Gardaí here at the present time is that the promise to recruit two thousand extra Gardaí has fallen by the wayside because there's no funding for it.
The proposals have been billed as the biggest shake-up of the Gardaí since 1925.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 30 July 2003. The reporter is John Kilraine.
