asked the Minister for Justice if he will give details of the number of staff, library facilities, and courses to be pursued at the Garda Officer Training College.
Ceisteanna — Questions Oral Answers - Garda Training College.
8.
An assistant commissioner has been appointed to take overall responsibility for all training in the Garda Síochána but with particular responsibility for the police college. In addition a chief superintendent and a superintendent have been appointed to the positions of director of the police college and assistant director respectively. At present subordinate administrative and clerical staffs are shared with the general Training Centre in Templemore but additional appointments will be made as needs are established. Many of the lectures in the college will, of course, be given by Garda officers who are not on the staff of the college, by police officers from other forces and by non-police lecturers from a wide variety of adult education institutions.
Initially the Garda College will share existing library facilities with the general Training Centre. One of the tasks of the college staff will be to see that library facilities are improved as necessary to meet the needs of the college.
Courses will be provided for all newly-promoted inspectors, superintendents and chief superintendents. In addition, a variety of courses, seminars, conferences, and so on on specialist subjects will be provided. It is not possible, however, to give details of these as they will be designed and developed to meet needs which will change from time to time.
Would the Minister accept that this officer training college bears absolutely no resemblance to fully established training colleges such as the one in Bramshill or Scotland and that it does not have proper facilities? It does not have a library. The necessary input has not been made to establish it properly.
I reject what the Deputy is saying.
Will the Minister accept that the police college for senior officers should have, at the minimum, a proper library? Would he furthermore accept that, if there had been an intention to give to the police a proper college, which they need and deserve, there should have been more thought, planning and finance put into it?
I reject the innuendo in what the Deputy is saying. A major breakthrough has been made here and I am disturbed to see that the Deputy is doing his best to knock every improvement which has been made for the police at their request.
Bearing in mind my interest in the police and my anxiety to see they get proper facilities and rejecting the suggestion from the Minister, would he outline what type of courses and facilities will be available to senior officers? Would he comment on suggestions which have been made to me that it is rather inappropriate to make a new appointment to run the college from someone who is 96th on the superintendent list?
I was wondering what attracted the Deputy's interest. It is sour grapes on the part of the Deputy's informant.
Would the Minister answer my question? I was asking him about facilities and the fact that a very junior superintendent has been appointed to run courses? The Minister is evading the issue.