Jim O'Callaghan
Question:32. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the role she believes that the Garda reserve should play in policing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [52116/22]
View answerThursday, 20 October 2022
Questions (32)
Written answers
The Deputy will appreciate the Garda Commissioner is responsible under law for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, which includes, determining the roles and responsibilities of both members of An Garda Síochána and of the Garda Reserves.
I would like to take this opportunity to convey my gratitude to the members of the Garda Reserve for their service and for the valuable contribution they make to policing throughout the country.
The Garda Reserve is an opportunity for people from all communities to support policing and to give back to their communities. Reserve Gardaí provide a quality service, supporting proactive policing and represent the partnership between An Garda Síochána and the many communities they serve.
The Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI) concluded that the Garda Reserve programme was not utilised to its full potential and recommended that future recruitment to the Garda Reserve should be paused, pending the outcome of a comprehensive strategic review, in order to examine how best to structure the Garda Reserve to meet the needs of An Garda Síochána.
The Garda Commissioner developed a Garda Reserve Strategy 2021-2025, which provides a roadmap for the development of this important service.
The Strategy, published in October 2021, was informed by an internal review of the Reserve, and sets out key commitments including recruitment, training and development, deployment, governance and evaluation. A priority is a new recruitment campaign, which will be held next year, and on foot of which new reservists will be appointed for five years initially.
The campaign will target a broad and inclusive range of candidates, in keeping with the Reserve's role as a visible form of community engagement. An Garda Síochána are actively engaging with my Department and the Public Appointments Service to ensure that a recruitment campaign is inclusive of diverse and underrepresented groups, and also reaches out to those from Gaeltacht areas.
I am informed that updated roles and responsibilities are currently being developed to ensure all Garda Personnel are more aware of the assistance Reserve Gardaí can provide when on duty.
Furthermore, the Garda Commissioner has established an Implementation Group and Oversight Committee to ensure the Strategy delivers on its objectives, and I look forward to working with him to increase the number of members of the Reserve and in realising its full potential as a resource to policing and in providing a pathway for minority communities to full-time membership of An Garda Síochána.