asked the Minister for Justice if he will indicate whether there has been any reduction over the past six months in the numbers or availability of gardaí involved in the operation of the Garda stations in the Dublin Metropolitan Area, gardaí involved in the special task forces, the technical bureau and protection at courts.
Ceisteanna—Questions Oral Answers. - Dublin Metropolitan Garda Strength.
28.
The detailed deployment of Garda manpower as between the various stations and duties is a matter for the Garda authorities who keep the matter under constant review to take account of changing needs and circumstances. The number of gardaí on duty at any particular time in any particular area depends on factors such as the available resources, local circumstances, demands on Garda services and the time of day or night.
The Garda authorities have informed me that there has been no reduction over the past six months in the overall Garda strength of just over 4,000 which is allocated to the Dublin Metropolitan Area. They have also informed me that, while the manpower resources allocated to units such as the technical bureau and the special task force or to particular duties such as protection at courts have fluctuated from time to time for different reasons, there has been no reduction in the overall level of service in these areas during the past six months.
Has there been a reduction in the provision? The Minister said there was no reduction in the overall level of manpower, but has there been a reduction in the provision for overtime in this area in that period?
No. As I said in reply to the previous question, there has not been a reduction in the provision for overtime over that period.
Do I take it the Minister is saying that the statements made by the Secretary of the Garda Representative Association complaining that overtime had been restricted and that among other things the special task force, the technical bureau and police protection at courts were all affected by cutbacks in overtime and that the gardaí were not available in the normal way for these duties on an overtime basis are incorrect? Is the Minister saying those statements are incorrect?
I have discussed that matter with the Garda Representative Association. I would prefer not to rehearse that discussion here in the House.
I am not asking the Minister to tell us what he is or is not saying to the association. I am asking him to say whether or not the statements made are correct and whether or not it is a fact that the Garda were given instructions which resulted in them not pursuing overtime in particular circumstances. Did that happen or not?
I have told the House that there has been no reduction over the last six months in the numbers or availability of gardaí in the Dublin Metropolitan Area for all the duties that are covered. I have equally told the House that no change has been made to the total allocation for overtime that has been allocated to the force as a whole for this year. The Deputy will be aware that there is no specific allocation for overtime by district or subdistrict. That is not settled in advance.
Will the Minister therefore agree that there was a communications gap between himself and the superintendents? I saw instructions which actually issued from the superintendents who made those statements and indicated that those statements followed meetings with the Minister or a meeting with the Minister. Is the Minister saying all that happened was that there was a breakdown in communications?
I am not saying that. I do not have meetings with superintendents to discuss operational matters.