With less than 48 hours left until Friday's Garda strike, it has been confirmed the AGSI and the GRA will attend separate hearings at the Labour Court today and tomorrow.

The GRA has been invited to attend a hearing this afternoon, while their middle ranking AGSI colleagues are due in tomorrow morning.

It is thought the Labour Court may ask Gardaí to postpone Friday's action, in order to allow the industrial relations body to arrive at a ruling.

The prospect of a Garda strike has raised fears of a spike in crime across the country.

On the National Lunchtime News, Tom Swift spoke to Neil Garvey, CEO of Muintir na Tire, the group that coordinates the Community Alert scheme in rural areas: