Analysis:The implementation of the Garda Inspectorate's recommendations will depend as much on the Government as on the Garda, writes Conor Lally, Crime Correspondent
Tucked away in the Garda Inspectorate's report are some facts that do not cover the Tánaiste Michael McDowell in glory as he comes to the end of five years as Minister for Justice.
While much has, rightly, been made of the Garda's handling of the Abbeylara siege, the inspectorate outlines worrying shortcomings in how the force is equipped and trained to meet modern policing demands.
And this time the faults are being pointed out by a body created and appointed by Mr McDowell himself, rather than the vested interest Garda representative associations.
In one section, for example, there is the observation that the Emergency Response Unit (ERU), the force's elite armed wing, is unable to meet its weekly training commitments because of operational demands and the absence of tactical training facilities.
Elsewhere it notes that the closure of the Garda's only two firing ranges has left it dependent on the Army.
Yet moving away from the training needs of armed members and the elite ERU, the inspectorate supports many safety concerns that have long been expressed by the Garda associations.
The inspectorate bemoans the lack of an adequate digital radio system, saying the current radio is "inadequate and outdated". The much-promised new system should be "a top priority".
It says gardaí immediately need bullet-proof and stab-proof vests. "No police officer should be expected to respond to a gun call without the benefit of a ballistic vest". The current roll-out of vests should be "completed without further delay".
A number of times the inspectorate mentions the Republic's growing levels of gun crime. It is a poor reflection on the Minister that the inspectorate also feels the need to make recommendations relating to basic equipment which is, in its view, needed immediately to keep gardaí safe.
Mr McDowell yesterday pointed out that some 2,500 protective vests had already been distributed - but for a force of 14,000. He has also said a new radio system, firing range and tactical training centre are in train. Yet these are a long way off.
At least the inspectorate, led by Kathleen O'Toole, has injected some badly needed urgency into the situation.
As her report puts it: "One officer with an old vest and a Smith and Wesson revolver . . . will be ineffective in containing or disarming a threatening person who is unstable and more powerfully armed."