Thumbs down for new garda uniform

Tipperary TD Mattie McGrath has given the thumbs down to the new garda uniform.

Speaking at the December meeting of the Tipperary Joint Policing Committee in Thurles, Deputy McGrath, who was attending on Zoom, said he found the new outfit a bit flimsy for Ireland's meteorological conditions: “It would be fine in Spain where the weather is hot,” he declared.

“I didn't like it from the first day,” he added, offering the opinion that gardaí wearing it for the first time this winter “certainly won't fall asleep” on duty.

The outspoken TD made his comments as members voiced grave concerns about the future of Joint Policing Committees (JPCs) across the State following proposals to scrap their current format.

The Government plans to replace the existing JPCs with what it calls Local Community Safety Partnerships. The Department of Justice says these new groupings will provide a forum for State agencies and local community representatives to work together to act on community concerns.

“Each partnerhship will develop and oversee a tailored and priorities Local Community Safety Plan which will be informed by the community itself in conjunction with public services,” the department states.

Membership of the new partnerships will be broader than that of the JPCs and will include resident groups, community representatives, representatives from the business and education sectors as well as public services representatives to include the HSE, An Garda Síochána and local authorities, “as well as councillors”.

Currently three pilot Local Community Safety Parterships have been established - in Longford, Waterford and Dublin's north inner city - each with an independent Chair and full-time coordinator appointed to each of the three groupings.

BLOW TO DEMOCRACY

The Chairman of the Tipperary JPC, Cllr Noel Coonan, said the formation of the new partnerships seemed to be another sign of “democracy taken away” and questioned whether they would be as effective as the existing JPCs.

“The groups are being made much bigger to include a lot more community members rather than elected members and we're (councillors) being pushed aside,” said Cllr Coonan.

Cllr Hughie McGrath concurred, saying it was a pity the way things were going. It seemed the new partnerships were going to result in a diminution of the role of elected members.

Cllr Fiona Bonfield said she had an open mind on the changes proposed. She said she would like to know more about how the new partnership will work. One thing that was badly needed to tackle crime in every parish was more garda resources.

Deputy McGrath said the new partnerships would see a diminution of the role of elected representatives who, he added, were being increasingly viewed as “quite a nuisance” by State agencies who did not want politicians involved at any level.