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Garda Deployment.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 1 March 2006

Wednesday, 1 March 2006

Questions (177, 178, 179, 180)

John Curran

Question:

192 Mr. Curran asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of gardaí in Lucan and Ronanstown Garda stations assigned to purely administrative duties. [8519/06]

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John Curran

Question:

193 Mr. Curran asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of gardaí in Clondalkin Garda station assigned to purely administrative duties; if this work could be carried out by civilian personnel; his plans to increase the number of civilian personnel supporting the primary work of the Garda Síochána; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8520/06]

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Written answers

I propose to take Questions Nos. 192 and 193 together.

I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that there is currently one garda employed in an administrative post at Clondalkin Garda station and one garda employed in an administrative post at Lucan Garda station. In this context administrative posts are defined as those whose holders are in receipt of designated post and ex gratia allowances and as such are specifically employed on administrative duties. I am further informed that there are no gardaí employed on administrative duties atRonanstown Garda station.

The civilianisation programme approved by Government in 2001 is to be implemented on a phased basis over a number of years. I am pleased to say that significant progress has been made with the appointment of 113 civilian finance officers who are doing the district finance officer duties which were hitherto performed by gardaí. Moreover, the recent establishment of the Garda Information Service Centre, GISC, in Castlebar, and the pending transfer of civilian staff from the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to the Garda Síochána as civil servants of the State are significant developments in the context of greater Garda civilianisation.

The establishment of the GISC alone will, when fully operational, allow for the equivalent of up to 300 gardaí to be freed up for frontline outdoor policing duties. While the immediate focus is on providing the necessary staffing, training and resources so that the GISC will be fully operational during 2006, it is also the case that my Department, on an ongoing basis, reviews the possibility of civilianising other posts where possible, and progress is being made in this regard. However, the civilianisation programme has to be implemented within the confines of the Government decision of 4 December 2002 which placed a cap on numbers across the Civil Service and public service.

Having said that, I assure the Deputy that I am committed to the ongoing implementation of the civilianisation programme. I am also determined that the additional gardaí being recruited under the current historic expansion of the force will be deployed to frontline, visible and effective policing duties.

In this regard, the timescale for achieving the target strength of 14,000 members of the Garda Síochána in line with the commitment in the agreed programme for Government remains as when I announced the Government's approval in October 2004 for my proposals to achieve this objective. The phased increase in the strength of the Garda Síochána to 14,000 will lead to a combined strength, of both attested gardaí and recruits in training, of 14,000 by the end of this year.

As part of the accelerated recruitment campaign to facilitate this record expansion, 1,125 garda recruits were inducted to the Garda College during 2005. The college will induct a further 1,100 recruits this year and again in 2007, by way of intakes to the Garda College of approximately 275 recruits every quarter. This project is fully on target and will be achieved. In this regard, I am informed by the Garda authorities that the first incremental increase of newly attested gardaí under the programme of accelerated recruitment will take place on 16 March.

John Curran

Question:

194 Mr. Curran asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the Garda numbers stationed at Lucan and Ronanstown Garda stations allocated to community policing duties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8521/06]

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John Curran

Question:

195 Mr. Curran asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the Garda numbers stationed at Clondalkin Garda station allocated to community policing duties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8522/06]

View answer

I propose to take Questions Nos. 194 and 195 together.

I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the number of garda community officers, all ranks, attached to Lucan, Ronanstown and Clondalkin Garda stations as at 31 December 2005 were as set out in the following table:

Station

Total

Lucan

8

Ronanstown

13

Clondalkin

16

These figures are compiled on a quarterly basis and, therefore, 31 December 2005 is the latest date for which figures are readily available.

The timescale for achieving the target strength of 14,000 members of the Garda Síochána in line with the commitment in An Agreed Programme for Government remains as when I announced the Government approval in October 2004 for my proposals to achieve this objective. The phased increase in the strength of the Garda Síochána to 14,000 will lead to a combined strength, of both attested gardaí and recruits in training, of 14,000 by the end of this year. As part of the accelerated recruitment campaign to facilitate this process, 1,125 garda recruits were inducted to the Garda College during 2005. The college will induct 1,100 recruits this year and a further 1,100 in 2007, by way of intakes to the Garda College of approximately 275 recruits every quarter. This project is fully on target and will be achieved.

In this regard, I am informed by the Garda authorities that the first incremental increase of newly attested gardaí due to the programme of accelerated recruitment into the Garda Síochána will take place on the 16 March 2006.

The Garda Commissioner will now be drawing up plans on how best to distribute and manage these additional resources, and, in this context, the needs of the Garda stations referred to by the Deputy will be fully considered within the overall context of the needs of Garda divisions throughout the country.

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