Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 17 December 2015
332. Deputy Brendan Griffin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the Garda Síochána Reserve can play a greater role in the provision of non-front-line support and administrative work for An Garda Síochána; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [45886/15]
View answerThe Deputy will appreciate the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel, including the Garda Reserve, among the Garda Regions, Divisions, and Districts. Garda management keep this distribution under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the best possible use is made of resources. I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that there are currently 978 Reserve members.
The Garda Reserve was established in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 to enhance the links between An Garda Síochána and local communities and consists of voluntary unpaid members, drawn from the community, to support the work of An Garda Síochána. Reserve members make a real and tangible contribution to the policing of communities right across the country and I am fully supportive of the continued development of the Reserve. In particular, I welcome the recent conferring by the Commissioner of additional powers on reserve members under the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994 and also her decision that reserve members should carry out additional duties including the serving of summonses, and the issuing of Fixed Charged Penalty Notices where offences are detected.
The Report of the Garda Síochána Inspectorate "Changing Policing in Ireland - Delivering a visible, accessible and responsive service" which I published on 9 December makes a range of recommendations in relation to the effective use of human resources including reserve members, and recommends that An Garda Síochána develops a strategic plan for maximising the operational effectiveness and contribution of reserves. I have put in place a process to seek the views of the Garda Commissioner and other bodies to whom recommendations are directed and have requested them to respond within a reasonably short period of time, having regard to the size and scope of the report. Further work on optimising the use of the Reserve will be progressed in this context.
It is important, however, to recall that reserve members have undergone training in many of the skills required to be an effective full-time member of An Garda Síochána and are intended to serve on the front-line. Indeed I was very pleased that the recruitment campaign for 2016 for full-time members of the Service, which I announced recently, includes a special stream for eligible reserve members in order to ensure that due recognition is given to satisfactory service by such a member. The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is organising the recruitment competition on behalf of the Garda Commissioner and applications may be made through the PAS website at www.publicjobs.ie. The closing date for applications is Tuesday 5 January 2016. I would encourage all reserves who satisfy the eligibility criteria to apply.
