An Garda Síochána

Wednesday, 22 March 2023

Questions (222)

Jim O'Callaghan

Question:

222. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice if any gardaí went overseas for specialist training course for which that training is not available within the State in 2022 and to-date in 2023; if so, the name of the specialist course; the duration of that course; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14221/23]

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Written answers

Minister for Justice

As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business, including the recruitment and training of Garda members and staff, under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended). As Minister, I have no role in these independent functions.

To be of assistance I have contacted the Garda authorities and have been advised of the following information in relation to the Deputy's query.

Specialist training undertaken by members attached to the Garda College in 2022-2023 to date, which was not available within the State, is as follows:

Name of the course	Duration
Stinger Master Instructor Level	Three day
Sig Sauer Firearms Instructor Training	Ten day
CBRN Instructors level	Fourteen day
ASP, Baton and Handcuff Instructor re-cert	Seven day

I am further advised that the Irish CEPOL National Unit, International Training, Garda College Templemore is responsible for the distribution of CEPOL (Collège Européen de Police - European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training) onsite courses to the various Policy Owners in An Garda Síochána.

CEPOL onsite courses are held in a training institute in the various EU Member States, such as the Garda College, Templemore. CEPOL onsite activities provide an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of a specialist subject area for which training is not available within the State. CEPOL course thematic areas range from “SIRENE” (Supplementary Information Request at the National Entries) to “Crisis Hostage Negotiation” to “Cross-border Drug Investigation”. These courses provide an excellent opportunity for participants from An Garda Síochána to network and cooperate with fellow law enforcement officials in Europe and to increase their knowledge of specialist areas.

An Garda Síochána participated in seventy-four CEPOL Residential/Onsite Courses abroad in 2022, as follows:

Name of the course	Duration
Workshop on Preventing & countering terrorist infiltrations among illegal migration routes	3 days
Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Incidents Management Operational Training	5 days
EU/Turkey Workshop on "Exploring the link between organised criminal groups & terrorist groups."	3 days
Child Trafficking	4 days
OSINT and IT Solutions (1st)	5 days
Live Data Forensics	5 days
JIT Implementation	5 days
Darkweb and cryptocurrencies	5 days
Malware Investigation	5 days
Trafficking in human beings - Sexual Exploitation	4 days
Document Fraud Investigation	5 days
Child Sexual Exploitation on the Internet	5 days
Illicit Laboratory Dismantling - advanced	12 days
Intellectual Property Rights - counterfeiting and piracy	5 days
Schengen evaluation - Police cooperation	5 days
Informant handling - advanced	4 days
Terrorism and Firearms	4 days
Preventing juvenile crime and domestic violence	4 days
Countering Serious Organised Crime and Mafia-style groups	4 days
Child Sexual Exploitation Victim Identification	11 days
First Responders and Cyber Forensics	5 days
EEODN (European Explosive Ordnance Disposal Network	5 days
Train the Trainers	5 days
Investigating & Preventing Corruption	4 days
Organised Property Crime	4 days
Excise Fraud	5 days
Public-private Partnerships Other Forms to Counter Financing of Terrorism	5 days
Money laundering via offshore structures	5 days
PNR Data Analysis	3 days
Cash & Trade based Money Laundering	5 days
Drug Trafficking Methods - Mail and Postal Parcels	5 days
OSINT and IT Solutions (2nd)	5 days
THB - Labour Exploitation	5 days
Conducting Forensic Searches in Various IT devices	5 days
Behaviour Analysis in the context of Facilitated Illegal Immigration	5 days
Financial Investigation on Virtual Currencies	5 days
Violent attacks against public - amok shootings	4 days
Victim Protection	4 days
EMPEN tactical medical training	4 days
Fundamental Rights - Police Ethics	5 days
Interoperability of the EU large Scale IT Systems - current and future implementation	5 days
Civilian CSDP Operational Planning	5 days
Financial intelligence and analysis	5 days
Investigation of Facilitated Illegal Immigration	5 days
Pan European Football Security	5 days
Hate Crime	4 days
Wildlife Crime	5 days
Illicit Drug Laboratory Dismantling	4 days
Digital Forensic Investigator	12 days
ONS MAC Forensics	5 days
Joint Investigation Team Leadership	5 days
Training on Police Information Exchange	5 days
CPCC Planners - Civilian CSDP Planning	5 days
Understanding the Darknet	5 days
Police Data Exchange with Third Countries	5 days
Witness Protection	5 days
Waste Crime	5 days
Undercover Operations	4 days
Crisis Hostage Negotiation	5 days
Workshop for Activity Managers	4 days
Cross-border Drug Investigations	5 days
Trafficking in Human Beings - forced criminality & forced begging	4 days
Firearms Crime	5 days
Public Order & Crowd Management	4 days
Insider Threat - Radicalisation within the LE	4 days
SIRENE Officers Level 2	4 days
Linux Forensics	5 days
Dismantling of Cannabis Production and Trafficking	4 days
Drug Crime & Markets	4 days
Cybercrime: Advanced Windows File Systems: Forensics	5 days
Operational Intelligence Analysis	5 days
Darkweb and cryptocurrencies Advanced	5 days
MTIC Missing Trader Intra Community Fraud Course	4 days
Behind Enemy Minds	6 days

An Garda Síochána have participated in two CEPOL Residential/Onsite courses abroad to date in 2023, as follows:

Name of the course	Duration
Anti-Corruption and Economic/Financial Crime	3 days
Hate Crime	4 days