Jim O'Callaghan
Question:
722. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice if funding has been provided for the purchase of drones for use by An Garda Síochána; the number of drones currently in use by An Garda Síochána; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9812/21]
View answer
The Deputy will appreciate that the Garda Commissioner is responsible, by law, for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, and I, as Minister, have no direct role in such matters.
I have requested information from the Garda Commissioner in relation to this question and will write to the Deputy directly with the information sought, when it is available.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51
I refer to Parliamentary Question 722 which was for answer on 24 February 2021 where you asked if funding has been provided for the purchase of drones for use by An Garda Síochána; the number of drones currently in use by An Garda Síochána.
You will recall that the information could not be obtained in the time available and I undertook to consult with An Garda Síochána and contact you again when the information became available.
An Garda Síochána has been allocated an unprecedented budget of €1.952 billion for 2021. An additional €22 million has been provided for Garda ICT to bring the total allocation to over €70 million for the second year in a row.
The Garda Commissioner has responsibility, by law, for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána and for the allocation of Garda resources, in light of identified operational demands.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that An Garda Síochána does not currently use drones to aid policing but that an evaluation project is currently being conducted to determine the suitability of the deployment of this type of equipment within An Garda Síochána. The project aims to identify areas where maximum benefit may be obtained from the use of such technology in supporting policing objectives in both rural and urban settings.
I should also note that my Department is currently working on legislation relating to the recording and processing of digital images, as one of the actions arising under 'A Policing Service for the Future', the 4-year implementation plan for the Report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. It is expected that this Bill will allow for the use of drones by the Gardaí for operational policing into the future.
I trust this information is of assistance.
