Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 July 2021
115. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Justice the status of the Statement of Strategy 2022-2024 for An Garda Síochána; if her attention has been drawn to plans to expand the Garda Information Services Centre in Castlebar, County Mayo; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36815/21]
View answerThe Garda Strategy Statement 2022- 2024 will set out An Garda Síochána’s long-term operational priorities, as well as the key focus areas within the organisation, framed by the actions contained in A Policing Service for our Future, the Government's implementation plan for the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland.
I am informed that An Garda Síochána will take account of a broad spectrum of views in the formulation of the Strategy Statement. Focus groups will be held with ethnic and culturally diverse groups from within our communities, while formal correspondence will seek the views and input from Government Departments, local authorities, non-governmental agencies and community representatives, as well as individual members of the public.
An Garda Síochána recently sought input from the public in assisting them in developing the Strategy Statement. The closing date for receipt of submissions to the online survey was 7 May 2021. These submissions will now be considered by An Garda Síochána ahead of the finalisation of the Strategy Statement.
The Garda Information Service Centre (GISC) was established by An Garda Síochána in Castlebar in 2005. I understand that it operates on a 24 hour and seven day a week basis, throughout the year. The objectives include the reduction of time spent by operational members on administrative duties and the improvement of data quality at An Garda Síochána. Garda management has assigned additional functions to the Garda Information Service Centre. Consideration is being given to assigning further functions to the Centre in the future, subject to the necessary staffing and other resources being made available.
I am informed by An Garda Síochána that GISC is staffed entirely by Garda staff and at 31 May 2021, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 217 Garda staff assigned to GISC
I am further advised that a competition for Incident Creation Representatives for GISC has concluded, with the first group of successful candidates having commenced training at GISC on 28 June 2021. This continued recruitment to GISC re-enforces the long term operational priorities currently being focused on by An Garda Síochána. A competition for the role of Principal Officer in GISC is currently in progress and I am informed that interviews are due to be held at the end of July.
