GONE TO THE DOGS

Gardai call for urgent improvement in facilities for force's canine unit

- BY MICHAEL O'TOOLE

GARDAI in the force's national dog unit are demanding better facilities - for themselves and their canine colleagues.

The officers who team up with their dogs to provide vital back up to gardai all over the country are based in part of Kilmainham Station in south central Dublin, but they say their conditions are just not good enough.

Garda Alan Cummins, one of the officers in the highly trained teams, spoke to the Sunday Mirror of their frustration when he attended the annual conference of force's biggest union earlier this week.

Speaking at the conference of the 11,200-strong Garda Representative Association in Killarney, Co Kerry, he said: “They're frustrated.

“Every time we've been requested to stand up and be counted, we've been there.