INVESTIGATIONS of current crimes are to be prioritised as the garda force faces a significant reduction in manpower this year and no extra resources.  Cases which have gone cold will be suspended until new leads emerge.

Other planned cost-cutting measures include a more efficient use of the garda air and boat fleet.  The garda helicopters and its boat may be grounded when not deployed on specific missions, according to garda management sources.

In essential policing services are to be curtailed while reductions in overtime payments, allowances and travel expense are to be strictly enforced.  Travel subsidies have already been cut by 25%.

Reducing overtime will probably have an impact on how the force responds to live events such as tiger kidnappings and gangland murders.  Undercover surveillance units and detective teams have always used high levels of overtime because of the unpredictable nature of their work.

Working rosters are to be made more flexible in an attempt to ensure a continuity of frontline and community services, according to sources at garda headquarters.

Some specialist units are said to be already experiencing operational difficulties due to manpower shortages and increased workloads.  Damien McCarthy, the president of the Garda Representative Association (GRA), which represents rank and file members, said “the fraud squad is currently unable to cope with its workload.  It has reached breaking point in terms of dealing with the number of complaints it is receiving, at a time when financial crime is on the increase”.

The squad investigates financial and white-collar crime.  Its computer-crime division investigates child pornography.

McCarthy says the government’s commitment to maintaining frontline policing services while pursuing policies aimed at reducing the number of garda is unlikely to work.

The 14,500 strong force is to be reduced by about 10% over the next four years.  The force expects most of the cuts to come through the non-replacement of officers who retire and a ban on recruitment.  About 750 officers retired in 2009 and 450 retired last year.

Alan Shatter, the Fine Gael justice spokesman, said that if elected to government, his party plans a full investigation into the effect of budget cutbacks on the gardai.  “We have a whole range of concerns about what’s happening in our police force as a result of these cuts.  I personally have enormous concerns about what’s happening in the fraud squad.  I believe they are completely overwhelmed by the volume of work they are required to do,” said Shatter.

“The problem is that Dermot Ahern, the justice minister, has used the gardai as a PR tool.  He announces various strategies that never happen.  We are very conscious in advance of the election about making promises about funding that cannot be kept, but we do believe the decision to bring the force down to 13,000 needs to be reviewed”.

Pat Rabbitte, the Labour party spokesman on justice, said any new government would not be able to increase garda numbers”.   I believe garda management know how to best deploy their resources.  This country is simply not in a position to afford 14,500 gardai, as much as we want to,” he said.

“I urge garda headquarters to do their best to ensure frontline services are not disrupted.  We’re in a position where our financial circumstances have changed greatly.”

The only area of the force’s budget that will not be reduced, and may even be increased, is the one for tackling republican terrorism and organised crime.  Martin Callinan, the garda commissioner, has made targeting republican extremism a priority, following a surge in paramilitary activity in Ulster.  Many attacks were organised south of the border.

Developing strategies to prevent tiger kidnappings, organised crime gangs and increasing the force’s capability to deal with hostage and barricade incidents is also listed as a priority for 2011.

The justice budget was cut by 3% to €2.4 billion in last December’s budget.  The garda’s allocation was unchanged at €1.532 billion.  A garda spokesman said: “Garda management have taken steps to ensure that the impact on frontline policing is minimised, and the public continue to receive a full and professional service.”