asked the Minister for Justice the number of trained gardaí employed on clerical work.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Garda Clerks.
9.
A total of 538 members, consisting of 105 sergeants and 433 gardaí, are at present employed on clerical work.
Having regard on the one hand to the obvious need for the provision of further trained gardaí, particularly in Dublin, and on the other hand to the acute question of unemployment, particularly among school leavers, would the Minister take urgent steps to have these trained gardaí engaged in carrying out ordinary duties and to recruit clerical staff from outside?
These gardaí are engaged in doing Garda duties, but of a clerical nature. There are 163 female clerical assistants employed. However, there are a considerable number of posts which have to be filled by Garda clerical officers and they would not be suitable for lay clerical officers, for one reason or another. The Garda comprise more than 8,000 men and from time to time members suffering from incapacities or advancing age are not suitable for outdoor duties and for these clerical work provides a suitable outlet. The Garda are conscious of the need to keep the number of men on clerical work at a minimum.
While I appreciate the last point, I think the Minister will agree that a number of the gardaí doing clerical work are young men, in good physical condition. Is one of the reasons for the employment of gardaí on clerical duty the belief that it is necessary, from the point of view of security, that that particular duty should be carried out by members of the force?
That undoubtedly would be a consideration in regard to certain posts but not to all posts.
Otherwise no lay clerical assistants would be employed at all.
As far as that is a consideration, does the Minister recall that in other areas, in relation to the preparation of the annual budget, the Minister for Finance finds it necessary to employ people——
The Department of Finance may be more liberal in that than Garda Headquarters.
The Minister might take a more liberal view of what I have been putting to him.