Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 16 October 2018
295. Deputy John McGuinness asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if stress interventions and-or counselling sessions are mandatory following traumatic incidents involving gardaí at work; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [42007/18]
View answerI know the Deputy will agree that we should never underestimate the dangers the men and women of An Garda Síochána face and the traumatic incidents they encounter in the course of their duty. The Government is committed to supporting the work of An Garda Síochána and to ensuring that the organisation is properly resourced to carry out its important role in protecting our communities.
As the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for carrying on and managing and controlling generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána including the provision of employee welfare supports.
I am assured by the Garda Commissioner that An Garda Síochána is committed to ensuring that members exposed to workplace stress receive the appropriate organisational response and in that regard there are a variety of supports in place for Garda members.
I am informed by the Commissioner that following on from traumatic incidents at work, the interventions and counselling provided are not mandatory for members of An Garda Síochána, however, there is support available and offered in the aftermath of such incidents.
The Garda Employee Assistance Service is available to members of An Garda Síochána and supports them in managing and resolving personal and work-related difficulties. All employee assistance officers, and in the region of 250 of the peer supporters, are trained in critical incident stress management, which is an intervention designed to prevent or mitigate psychological reactions to a critical incident. This intervention is delivered with the support of a mental health professional when required. Where necessary the services of the Occupational Health Department, headed by the Chief Medical Officer of An Garda Síochána, are made available to assist Garda personnel deal with stressful and extremely difficult situations in the workplace. This Service is staffed by a team of specialist occupational healthcare professionals supported by an administration team. The Service is dedicated to supporting the employees of An Garda Síochána to maintain their health and well-being in order to carry out their duties safely and effectively.
A 24/7, 365 day Independent Helpline and Counselling Service is available to all staff within An Garda Síochána. This service is available for both work and personal difficulties. The service is not mandatory and is self-referral. Each member of the organisation may avail of six free sessions of counselling per year and an additional two will be provided if clinically approved. All appointments and consultants are arranged directly between the Service Provider and the staff member.
Since 1994 a Peer Supporter Programme has been in operation within An Garda Síochána to help Gardaí cope with the effect of a traumatic incident in the workplace. I am informed that the programme has been found to be very helpful in assisting Garda members in the aftermath of a traumatic incident. The programme is delivered by over 850 Garda who are trained as peer supporters and are available in all Garda Districts to assist colleagues in the immediate aftermath of a traumatic incident. Following a traumatic incident, a peer supporter will contact the members concerned and offer support. In the event that the peer supporter deems it appropriate, they may refer the member to the Garda Employee Assistance Service.
The recently published Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland report recognises that policing is an unusually stressful job and recommends that An Garda Síochána requires mandatory counselling for Gardaí following a traumatic incident such as attending a bad traffic accident or crime scene.
My Department is currently analysing the Report and my officials are engaging in consultations with An Garda Síochána, the policing oversight bodies and the relevant Departments, in order to inform my substantive response and high-level implementation plan that I intend to bring to Government by December.
