Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 23 November 2005
102 Mr. J. O’Keeffe asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason the 2001 commitment to civilianise 496 Garda posts has not been fulfilled; the steps which have been taken to comply with this promise; the number of gardaí which have been moved under this scheme; when the programme is likely to be complete; and the amount the civilianisation will cost. [35726/05]
View answerI refer the Deputy to my response to Parliamentary Question No. 557 of 8 November 2005. I remind the Deputy that the civilianisation programme approved by the Government in 2001 is to be implemented on a phased basis over a number of years. The programme provided for the civilianisation of certain posts in the short, medium and long-term; the transfer of the finance function from Garda district clerks to civilian staff; and the transfer of civilian staff from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to the Garda Síochána as civil servants of the State.
While my reply of 8 November sets out the position in relation to progress made to date, I also want to point out that the significant increases in funding recently approved by Government for the 2006 anti-crime programme will provide for a further acceleration of the civilianisation programme for the Garda Síochána. Already my Department is in the process of redeploying surplus staff from the Department of Agriculture and Food to staff the new Garda information services centre based in Castlebar. This initiative alone will result in the equivalent of 300 full-time gardaí being freed up for frontline outdoor policing duties. This initiative will go nationwide in 2006. This is also, of course, in keeping with the general policy that civilianisation allows certain jobs to be done at a more economic cost and allows gardaí to focus on work more suited to their training and skills, thereby increasing overall operational capacity within the Garda Síochána.
