asked the Minister for Justice if, in view of the reduction in the Government's provision for Garda overtime from an average of nearly £2 million per month for the first four months of 1986 to approximately £½ million for each of the remaining months, he will state whether reported reductions in the availability of both personnel and material resources, especially at weekends and holiday periods and particularly, that the emergencies over Whit weekend, are a direct result of a lack of resources for Garda overtime; if he will take immediate action to give the Garda the resources they need to combat crime; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Garda Overtime.
14.
As I indicated in reply to Question No. 27 on 22 May 1986, there has been no reduction in the provision of £21 million for Garda overtime in 1986 and there is no specific provision for any one month. However, because expenditure on Garda overtime in the first four months of the year was running at a very high level, the Garda authorities undertook a detailed review of such expenditure so as to ensure that the best possible return is being got from it. As might be expected, this review, together with a general re-appraisal of Garda deployment, has led to some changes in the use of resources but the situation is being closely monitored by the Garda authorities in order to ensure that resources are being deployed in such a way as to maintain effective policing in all areas at all times.
On the question of the availability of Garda resources at weekends and over the June bank holiday weekend in particular, any inference or suggestion that emergencies over that weekend were due in some way to lack of resources for Garda overtime is totally without foundation. The Garda authorities have informed me that adequate Garda personnel and other resources have been available at all times to deal with crime generally and also with the emergencies that occur from time to time.
I dealt with the general question of the provision of resources for the Garda Síochána in detail in the course of my contribution to the debate on the subject in this House on 13 May 1986 and I want to state here once again the Government's total commitment to providing the Garda Síochána with all the resources they require to carry out, efficiently and effectively, the vital duties we entrust to them.
Could the Minister say how much has been spent on Garda overtime for the first six months of the year?
The cumulative expenditure on Garda overtime up to 29 June 1986 was £9.1 million. However, I caution the House and the Deputy in particular against focusing specifically on that question because, of course, expenditure on overtime is only one small part of the total expenditure on the provision of the services of the Garda.
Is the Minister aware that there is considerable if not widespread unease in Dublin, Cork and Limerick where there are high crime levels, about the availability of the Garda on a flexible basis which normally means overtime for the remainder of the year because of the fact that the sum of £9.1 million has already been spent? How does the Minister intend to provide for flexibility in overtime for the remaining six months of the year with only £2.9 million available for overtime payments?
I suggested to the Deputy that he should not over-emphasise the importance of overtime in this context. I know he has a very close acquaintanceship with the operations of the Garda and he should know that it is not necessary to use overtime in all cases to provide either for flexibility or for round the clock cover by the Garda. I am sure the Deputy is familiar with the various roster and relief arrangements operated by the Garda Síochána and, therefore, it would be wrong to suggest — as has been suggested — that a flexible response always requires expenditure on overtime.
Is the Minister aware that Garda stations are unable to provide the manpower on the beat especially in areas where there are serious problems of crime and vandalism? When Garda superintendents are asked why they cannot provide cover they say openly and publicly that they are not allowed to spend money on overtime. Could the Minister clear up this matter because it is very serious and important? The Minister indicated that there will not be overtime unless extra money is provided. Is it the Minister's intention to provide extra resources in this area for the balance of the year? I appreciate that other things can be done, such as re-rostering. But the picture looks very bad as it is spelled out here now, especially for those crimeridden areas that are calling out for extra gardaí at the moment.
I do not accept that the situation is as the Deputy has attempted to suggest in the first part of his question. The Deputy has today and on previous occasions put down questions to me about the level of Garda manning in various stations, including two districts that he referred to earlier today. An examination of those figures would show that, as part of the increase in the Garda strength which we have maintained ever since coming into office at the end of 1982, there has been a substantial strengthening of the total Garda force over that period and that is shown both in the level of policing and in the crime statistics.
Does the Minister realise that he is saying that there is £5 million per month left for the remainder of the year and that there has been expenditure of close to £2 million per month for the first four months or so? Does the Minister accept that there is great dissatisfaction with the lack of availability of manpower in areas with high levels of crime and vandalism? Will the Minister go back to the drawing board and make provision to ensure that the resources are provided to deal with this situation? He does not give us the kind of reassurance here that people are looking for.
It is wrong to look only at the overtime provision to get a picture of the resources available for the Garda Síochána. If the Deputy persists in looking only at the overtime figures——
I am not looking only at the overtime figures.
If the Deputy persists in looking only at the overtime figures he will come to an erroneous conclusion. I would also like to make the point — and I look forward to making this point at greater length later on this evening in another context — that some of the allegations that have recently been made about particular cases, and particular incidents in the media in particular, alleging that gardaí were not available or that members of the Technical Bureau were not available turned out on examination to be fictitious. Such allegations seem always to start off on the supposition that nothing can happen in any corner of the country without, according to the Deputy, having a whole squad of experts to take paint flakings off cars.
Did the Minister see the document which Deputy Skelly has which he showed to me in which a superintendent stated quite clearly and definitely that the Minister was misleading the House in this respect?
We will have that discussion tonight.
Perhaps the Minister would ask Deputy Skelly to show it to him if he has not done so.