Armed gardai are warning they don't have adequate resources to monitor ongoing emergencies in the country.
The Garda Representative Association says lives are at risk as a result.
The Emergency Response Unit has some of the country's most elite officers who respond to critical incidents like the ongoing feud in Drogheda.
But the Garda Representative Association is warning the unit doesn't have adequate resources and 21 vacancies have yet to be filled.
In a 2000 word letter sent to the head of the elite unit, a GRA representative says there's been a reduction in resource allocation and armed patrols.
Concerns are raised about the cutting of garda overtime with claims it's left the ERU without the numbers to respond to potentially serious emergencies.
It's leading to claims that unarmed colleagues are on the frontline without adequate protection.
The GRA also claims in the letter that gardai were waiting hours last week in Drogheda after calling for armed back up while on Friday there was no ERU unit to deal with any call.
