As of 31 March 2001, there were 959 civilians serving in the Garda Síochána mainly in clerical-administrative and professional posts. In general, civilian staff are employed in Garda stations and offices throughout the country, including the Garda College in Templemore and Garda headquarters in Dublin.
Under the Garda SMI programme a report on civilianisation in the Garda Síochána has recommended the civilianisation of a further 556 posts currently held by gardaí in administrative and technical areas. This will release 556 gardaí to operational policing to tackle and prevent crime.
The report on civilianisation represents a true partnership approach to the future of the Garda organisation. All Garda representative bodies engaged constructively in its development and agreed to the implementation plan as outlined in the report. Contrary to recent press reports, there has been no agreement to reduce the 556 posts to be civilianised.
The report recommends that civilianisation of the 556 posts identified should take place over time. This is to allow for continuity of skills and takes account of those gardaí, particularly in technical areas, who would not be suited to transfer to other duties. The report envisages that 174 posts will be civilianised in the short-term, that is, one to three years.
The civilianisation report states that the additional cost of employing a member of garda rank at a clerical function, as opposed to a clerical officer, is almost £12,000 per annum.
The civilianisation report was recently endorsed by the Garda SMI steering group and I will be presenting it to Government shortly. Implementation of the recommendations will commence when the report has been approved by Government.
