Senior gardaí warn: ‘we don’t have the tools to handle border crime surge’

As Government sources insist they are determined to avoid all

AN Garda Síochana has no plan to guard the border or bring additional officers to the north of the country despite the growing concern across Europe that Ireland is totally unprepared for a No-Deal Brexit.

In a series of briefings to the Irish Mail on Sunday, senior members of Garda management said that assumptions that there may be a secret plan to guard the border are ‘erroneous and false’.

It comes as Taoiseach Leo Varadkar told journalists yesterday that if violence broke out due to lack of preparations, it would be the responsibility of those who perpetrate violence – and insisted the State was ready for it. With the outcome of the Brexit negotiations in Westminster and Brussels far from predictable, the possibility remains for Britain to crash out of the EU. This would mean a border would need to be established.

Senior sources have confirmed there are concerns among those who will be charged with implementing the State’s response to outbreaks

‘We will be devoid of treaties, arrangements, everything’ ‘We will not be organising anything’

of violence, terrorism, crime and an upsurge in illegal immigration.

A senior officer told the MoS that he ‘has grave concerns about an explosion of crime at the border, which we have no tools to tackle.’

There is a belief that An Garda Síochana has been politically directed by Government not to prepare for a hard border. One cabinet minister admitted to the MoS last night: ‘We resolutely refuse to prepare for a hard border because that would be wishing a hard border into existence.’

Another minister added: ‘If we start preparing for a hard border, the rest of the EU will say: “There you go, the Irish are setting up the infrastructure for a hard border so let’s just put one there”.’

The border would need to be manned by at least 500 extra gardaí. A Garda management source told the MoS yesterday: ‘When I talk to people outside the force there seems to be a belief that there is a secret plan to deal with the border. There isn’t. None at all.

‘It would be impossible to keep quiet if there was. We need at least 500 extra gardaí at the border and you can’t just ask them to go up there on a sojourn. They would need to be there on permanent postings.

‘To organise to move ten gardaí is a big undertaking in the modern force, never mind 500. They would have to put in for transfers or be transferred. If a garda doesn’t want to be transferred, he or she has three chances at appeal. The final recourse is the Department of Justice. So what I’m saying is it can’t be done overnight.’

Contacted with these concerns, the Garda Press Office refused to comment.

Gardaí have told the Government that they believe it should be sending observers to countries like Romania.

‘We will need to be maintaining a border like Romania has with Russia,’ said a senior garda. ‘That is the kind of relationship we will need to establish with Britain. We will be devoid of treaties, arrangements, everything. They say that the Common Travel Area, which has stood since 1921 will be maintained, but how is that possible when Britain becomes a third country?’

Gardaí say that Government assurances that there is no possibility of a hard border are ‘foolish’.

One officer said: ‘There is a possibility of it. German politicians, French politicians, Irish politicians say there is, so there is.’

Gardaí say there would be an ‘explosion of crime’.

‘You only have to look at what is going on now near the border, a spate of ATM robberies, to get an indication of what is going to happen there when the criminals figure out there are two separate states and no police on one side of the border.

‘All of us of a particular age remember terrorism. We will not have the capability to stop that as there will be escape routes.’

Gardaí say that immigration will also cause serious problems.

‘Any person wanting to get into the EU will now get to Belfast and walk across the border. The Northern authorities won’t exactly be motivated to stop them.’

Government sources said they are determined to avoid all planning for a border because they believe that it will become a ‘self-fulfilling prophesy. ‘We will not be organising anything. Once we start doing that the Europeans will say it is a fait accompli and accept a border.’

Asked yesterday if his Government would take responsibility for violence stemming from a lack of preparation, Mr Varadkar said: ‘I don’t think there’s any justification for violence in my view... If anyone does engage in violence they’re the ones who will be responsible, but, of course, we’ll deal with it.’

‘I don’t anticipate that we’re going to have a hard border so therefore I don’t anticipate there’s going to be violence. That’s not to say though we aren’t prepared for those kinds of scenarios,’ he said.