Gardaí have voiced concern that they have not been consulted by the Government ahead of the introduction of new laws to crack down on house parties.
It comes as last week the Cabinet rowed back on proposals to make it a criminal offence for more than six people to gather in a home, with it instead remaining a "civil offence" - a concept the Irish Council for Civil Liberties has said is adding to the confusion.
The union for mid-ranking gardaí has now said it is concerned the Government will introduce unworkable new laws in its push to shut down house parties during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Most of what AGSI hear is what we read in the media that seems to be leaked from Government sources, so there has been no consultation with us.
Antoinette Cunningham, general secretary of the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) says they want to be consulted on any law changes that will involve gardaí: “Just to be clear, AGSI has not been consulted in any way in relation to any of the Government proposals around the policing of house parties or the extension of new powers around pubs.
“Most of what AGSI hear is what we read in the media that seems to be leaked from Government sources, so there has been no consultation with us about any new proposed legislation or any extension of powers to go into people’s private dwellings.
“We’ve had no Government consultation whatsoever in relation to those matters.”
The union has said that any plan to have garda officers raid people's homes to investigate house parties is "fraught with difficulties".
AGSI is of the view that entering a person’s private home can only be done under the strictest of conditions in accordance with the law and usually under warrant.
Ms Cunningham says the constitutional protections of the home are very serious: “From the proposals that Government has been talking about in relation to the policing of house parties, AGSI is of the view that entering a person’s private home can only be done under the strictest of conditions in accordance with the law and usually under warrant.
“So we would be asking the Government if they are considering laws around the entering of a person’s private dwelling, that they need to consider it really carefully and ask themselves who’s going to enforce this law.”
