Although the justice minister plans to introduce an entirely voluntary and unpaid 4,000-strong force, recruitment to the British version of the reserve force has dwindled and it is now likely that reservists there will soon be given a regular salary.

The move to remunerate 'special constables' in Britain is being led by the Police Federation of England and Wales, which is the main representative body for British police.

McDowell's plan to introduce a reserve force here to work alongside gardai has been met with strong opposition from both the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI) and the Garda Representative Body (GRA).

The GRA is set to advise members around the country in coming weeks of its opposition to the move and it is now believed likely that rankand-file gardai may refuse to work with reservists. The first 900 members of the new voluntary force may be in place as early as this September.

"This plan cannot go ahead without the cooperation of our members, " GRA general secretary PJ Stone said last week.

McDowell has cited the Special Constable force in Britain as the model on which the reserve here will be based.

However, in light of growing problems with recruitment to the force there, the Police Federation of England and Wales says that 'special constables' should now be paid.

"Increasingly busy lives have meant fewer people are volunteering to assist the police and it is becoming harder for forces to recruit 'specials'. The Police Federation is now calling for 'specials' to be paid, " according to a policy statement issued by the British police body.