Vol. 419 No. 3
24 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice if he intends to increase Garda strength, special training and increase investment in improved and new technology to assist in the fight against crime, and if he will make a statement on the matter.
There is a Garda recruitment competition currently in progress from which 1,000 Garda will be recruited over the next few years. The current strength of the Force is 10,880 and it is expected to reach 11,000 by the end of this year. In addition to this, a further 140 civilian clerical staff will be recruited this year to provide clerical support for the gardaí and to release more gardaí for the outdoor operational duty for which they were trained. There will be a total of 700 clerical staff employed in the Garda Síochána by the end of this year and I plan to increase this further in future years.
All Garda recruits now undergo a comprehensive training programme which was approved by the Government and which takes account of the recommendations of the Walsh Committee. There is an emphasis during training on the development of practical policing skills and the course also covers such topics as criminology, behavioural science, psychology, public relations, communications, social science and management skills. The training course is now two years in duration. Part of this time is spent assigned to Garda stations to gain "hands-on" policing experience. Some £13 million has been spent on the Garda College over the past few years to bring it up to the highest international standards. While it serves as a training facility for recruits, there are also ongoing in-service training courses provided there which deal with all aspects of police work and keep gardaí aware of any advancements that have been made in all areas of policing. There are also specialist courses for members of specialist units and management courses to ensure that Garda management is kept up to the standards elsewhere in the public and private sectors.
The technology used by the Garda Síochána is constantly being reviewed and improved to keep the Force equipped to the highest possible standard in their fight against crime. This year alone approximately £5 million will be spent on computer technology and other equipment for the Force.
