Ms Antoinette Cunningham:

Operational matters such as the policing of protests do fall under the remit of the Garda Commissioner, so in a lot of ways it is outside of our remit to be able to comment on that.

However, I can say it is difficult for gardaí because they are damned if they do and damned if they do not. We look at how protests are managed by other police forces and see criticism of a light touch. Then we see a more robust approach taken to people who protest and that is also strongly criticised. It is always a fine line. The members we represent follow the guidance of the operational commander on the scene at any protest. The response advised by the Garda Commissioner is a phased response that starts with the use of communication, leading up to the presence of the public order unit and a soft cap approach. It is a deterrent style. It is difficult for us as a staff association to comment on the operational command of our senior officers other than to say we follow that guidance. The policing of protests is challenging. It is also challenging for our members. After a protest is over and members go back to their stations, there is a lot of stress attached. Looking after garda welfare, training in peaceful crowd management, which we constantly look for, and the use of body-worn cameras should all exist. We have been waiting a long time for body-worn cameras. The Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Bill 2022 is being discussed in another room here this afternoon. We are probably one of the only police forces in Europe that still does not have body-worn cameras.