Written Answers Nos. 537-551
537. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice the number of Garda public order tactical advisors commanders in each Garda division within the DMR in 2022 and to date in 2023; and the rank of officer this post is normally filled by, in tabular form. [54749/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware the Garda Commissioner is operationally responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes the allocation of Garda members to specialist units. As Minister I have no role in these matters.
I have been advised by Garda authorities that there are 19 Garda public order tactical advisors commanders across the Garda Divisions in the Dublin Metropolitan Region. These posts have been filled by Garda members across the ranks of Garda, Sergeant and Inspector.
I have been informed that it is not possible to give a more detailed breakdown of the assignment these members by division and rank. When the number of Garda members are fewer than 10, An Garda Síochána do not disclose details for security reasons as members may be identified.
538. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 348 of 14 November 2023, if she has received the necessary information from the Garda authorities to have the PQ answered. [54750/23]
View answerThe Deputy if referring to Parliamentary Question number 48966 of 13 November 2023 where he sought the budget allocation for the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau in the years 2021. 2022 and 2023.
I am now advised by the Garda authorities that it is not possible to provide a figure for the budget allocation for the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau. This unit is part of the Organised and Serious Crime Branch and does not have a specific overall budget allocated to it.
I can assure the Deputy that I am committed to providing An Garda Síochána with the resources they need to make sure communities around Ireland are safe and feel safe. This is reflected in the unprecedented allocation of €2.3 billion in Budget 2024 - a 23% increase since 2020, allowing for sustained investment in recruitment, equipment and technology.
As the Deputy will be aware, under Section 26 (1) (b) of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. Under the Act, the Garda Commissioner is the Accounting Officer for An Garda Síochána. Decisions on future allocations and spending in relation to Garda units are under the Commissioner's remit. As Minister, I have no role in this matter.
539. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice the amount gardaí spent on sending out poor-quality CCTV camera images in order to get better image quality in the years of 2022 and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [54751/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including any decisions relating to procurement of services. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
However, to be of assistance I sought the information requested by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána and have been advised that where appropriate, An Garda Síochána can employ external third party companies to get the image quality improved on CCTV images. In the event that such third party companies are engaged, this would occur at investigation level through relevant divisions.
I am advised by An Garda Síochána that due to the manner in which such costs are recorded, the relevant information is not readily available and would require a disproportionate amount of Garda time and resources to compile.
540. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice if recommendations ten and 11 of the Garda Inspectorate Report in 2019 on Public Order Training have been fully implemented. [54752/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including for training and equipping Garda members. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
As the Deputy may be aware, the Garda Síochána Inspectorate, at the request of the Policing Authority, carried out a review of public order policing. The context for the review was the Authority’s oversight and assessment of Garda performance at two public order incidents that occurred at An Cosán and North Frederick Street, in 2014 and 2018 respectively, as well as its assessment of An Garda Síochána’s reports on these incidents.
The Inspectorate published its report ‘Public Order Policing – A review of practices in the Garda Síochána’ in April 2019. The Policing Authority has had a number of oversight meetings with An Garda Síochána held in public and private to consider the progress made in the areas highlighted in the report including the command structure, policy, training and the process of review and learning lessons. This work is ongoing.
As the Deputy will be aware, under recommendation ten of the report, the Inspectorate recommends that staff in the new regional control rooms and the DMR Command and Control Centre have the capacity and capability to manage all spontaneous incidents, such as critical firearms and public order incidents.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that An Garda Síochána operates four Regional Control Centres to handle calls for service and to dispatch resources. Each centre has a number of personnel who operate as Critical and Firearms Incident Command (CFIC) Dispatchers. These personnel undergo a one week specialist training course with the Special Tactics & Operations Command of An Garda Síochána.
They are trained to coordinate the response of An Garda Síochána to critical incidents and firearms incidents. The CFIC Dispatcher is required to dispatch the appropriate level of response necessary to deal with the incident and to control those resources until the incident is resolved. Training in relation to CFIC has been ongoing since 2018.
I am advised that the training provided to CFIC Dispatchers is currently under review with a view to expanding it to include additional training in public order and the management of vehicle pursuits. To progress this, the Garda National Public Order Steering Group members and representatives from the Regional Control Centres have developed a lesson plan in relation to the deployment of Public Order personnel and tactical advisors. The plan must now be approved internally for implementation and roll out in line with the national structure of Regional Control Centres.
In addition, in quarter 1 2022, a briefing seminar was delivered to DMR Senior management in relation to the Garda National Public Order Unit (GNPOU) capabilities and the role of tactical advisors, the plan is to roll these briefings out as part of the wider Garda National Public Order Steering Group (GNPOSG) work.
Under recommendation eleven of the report, the Inspectorate recommends that the Department of Justice plan legislation for the recording of images in public, and fully supports the use of photographic and video equipment by the Garda Síochána at public events for evidence-gathering purposes.
As the Deputy may be aware, the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Act recently passed all remaining stages in the Dáil, and will now go to the President for signature. The Act provides for body worn cameras, Garda CCTV, automatic number plate recognition, and Community CCTV.
Importantly, the crucial introduction of body-worn cameras is being accelerated through a separate proof of concept (POC) project involving the deployment of body-worn cameras in Dublin city centre.
I have also instructed my officials to include the offences of rioting and violent disorder in the new Facial Recognition Bill, which will be ready to go to Government as soon as possible.
541. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí graduating from Templemore in the latest allocation. [54769/23]
View answerThe Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities – and strengthening An Garda Síochána is at the core of that. We will continue to provide An Garda Síochána with the resources it needs to ensure communities around Ireland are safe and feel safe.
The Government has allocated the highest ever budget to An Garda Síochána. The unprecedented allocation of over €2 billion for 2023 and a further €2.31 billion for 2024 demonstrates the Government's commitment to ensuring An Garda Síochána has provision for the equipment, technology, facilities, fleet and personnel it needs to carry out vital policing work.
This level of funding is providing for a steady pipeline of new Gardaí, with new recruits entering the Garda College approximately every 11 weeks.
The closure of the Garda College for much of 2020 and 2021 as a result of COVID-19 had a significant impact on Garda numbers. However, the number of recruits has continued to grow since its re-opening. A total of 637 trainees entered the training college so far in 2023. Another class is due to enter Templemore in December putting An Garda Síochána on track for between 700 and 800 new recruits into the college this year.
The next attestation, which was scheduled for the 12 January, has been brought forward to the 15 December. Over 150 trainees will attest on this date and will be deployed for policing duties over the Christmas period.
It is important to note that they will return to the college to complete their studies at a later date. A similar approach was taken in March 2020 when two classes attested early to support the policing response to COVID-19.
542. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Justice the key policy achievements realised and new initiatives taken by her Department during 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54791/23]
View answerSince my appointment as Minister for Justice I have led a programme of reform which is set out in the Programme for Government and in each annual Justice Plan since my appointment.
I have increased investment into An Garda Síochána to the highest ever level. This has allowed for sustained, ongoing investment into Garda Recruitment after the forced closure of the Garda College during Covid-19.
On recruitment, numbers in Templemore continue to increase, with attestations every 3 months - 135 trainees entered the training college in February, 154 entered in May, 174 entered in July, and another 177 entered the college In October, the largest intake since Covid. This means that nearly 500 trainees are currently in the system, with one more class due into Templemore in late December. We are on track to have between 700 and 800 new recruits into the college in 2023. We are now seeing an acceleration in the numbers entering the Garda College following its closure during the Covid-19 pandemic, with almost 5,000 applications to join the Gardaí this year. 237 new Gardaí have attested so far this year. The next Attestation is scheduled for 15 December, which will see a further 151 Gardaí attested. The significant increase in Garda staff has also freed up 900 Garda members to be redeployed to front-line duties. A new Garda Recruitment Competition will open again in the coming weeks.
To support recruitment we are:
- Increasing the Garda training allowance by 66% (to €305 per week)
- Increasing the age of entry into the Gardaí to from 35 to 50
- Providing €6m for Garda wellbeing initiatives, additional medical costs and over 2,500 units of body armour. This investment has enabled:
- Over 13,000 mobility devices- the highest ever – allowing Gardaí to conduct policing tasks outside of the station
- Over 3,400 Garda vehicles – the largest fleet of vehicles in the organisation’s history and a 31% increase since 2015
- Increased welfare and mental health supports
- Major investment in new and refurbished stations and a new, more practical operational uniform.
Budget 2024 provided funding for:
- 800-1000 Garda recruits
- A 25% increase in the overtime budget
- A 66% increase in the training allowance (to €305 per week) to support recruitment€6m provided for Garda wellbeing initiatives, additional medical costs and over 2,500 units of body armour.
- A new national centre of excellence in Dublin for the Garda Dog Unit, with the planned expansion to all Garda regions on a phased basis involving 50 handlers with access to 100 dogs of different capabilities.
As part of the government’s plan to modernise and strengthen An Garda Síochána, A Policing Service for our Future, the Garda Commissioner has developed a Garda Reserve Strategy 2021-2025 , which provides a roadmap for the development of this important service. A priority is a new recruitment campaign, which An Garda Síochána advise is expected to be held around Easter time 2024. The Department of Justice is currently engaging with An Garda Síochána on revisions to the regulations governing the Reserve ahead of the commencement of this recruitment process.
I published the Government’s Zero Tolerance plan to tackle domestic, sexual and gender based violence in June 2022. The Strategy is an ambitious, five-year, whole-of-Government programme of reform and its publication was accompanied by a detailed implementation plan covering the first 18 months, with yearly implementation plans thereafter. This will ensure the strategy is a living document and emerging issues can be incorporated.
There is a huge body of work underway. Key elements include a range of policies and legislation, as well as increases in budgetary allocations:
- Key to delivering on its ambition is the establishment of the new statutory based DSGBV Agency will bring the expertise and focus required to tackle this complex social issue, which will be operational early next year.
- Under Budget 2024, an additional €12m in funding for combatting DSGBV has been allocated. This represents a record 25% increase and will support the implementation of the Zero Tolerance plan - including by facilitating the establishment of the new agency. It will also assist the agency in meeting the acute needs for services throughout the country.
- The doubling of the overall number of refuge units over the lifetime of the Strategy. To achieve this we are working with all stakeholders to put in place the necessary structures and supports to accelerate the delivery of additional refuge accommodation year on year. Development of up to 36 refuge units is underway in Wexford, Dundalk and Navan. There will be 98 refuge units in priority locations delivered by end 2025 along with a further 19 additional and upgraded units by the end of the strategy.
- Under the current implementation plan there are 144 actions assigned to various Departments, the majority of which have, or are, progressing in line with the specified timeframes.
- For example, legislation to establish the new domestic, sexual and gender based violence agency has been recently enacted.
- The Family Courts Bill 2022, published on 1 December 2022, provides for the creation of new dedicated Family Courts as divisions within the existing court structure - so we have a more efficient and user-friendly family court system that puts the family and children at the centre of its work.
- The Sex Offenders (Amendment) Act 2023 was signed into law by the President on 5th April 2023 and provides for stronger supervision of sex offender post release.
- Legislation has been enacted to double to maximum sentence for assault causing harm to 10 years
- The Sexual Violence Survey 2022 was published by the CSO providing high quality national prevalence data on sexual violence.
- Awareness campaigns on intimate image abuse and victims of crime have been produced, with another on consent campaign currently underway. Many of the actions in the Strategy are focused enhanced support for victims. The provision of legal aid and legal advice, trauma-informed training, and national awareness campaigns are all provided for.
I have introduce and enacted a number of important reforms, including:
1. Enacted the Domestic, Sexual and Gender Based Violence Agency Bill which will establish a statutory agency under the remit of the Department of Justice dedicated to tackling and reducing domestic, sexual and gender-based violence (DSGBV) and supporting victims and survivors.
2. Enacted the Criminal Justice (Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill which contains measures targeting violent and organised crime, violence against Gardaí and also has a particular focus on domestic, sexual and gender-based violence:
- increasing the maximum penalty for assault causing harm – one of the most commonly prosecuted violent offences – from 5 years to 10 years
- introducing a new standalone offence of non-fatal strangulation, which can be a precursor to murder in domestic abuse situations. These changes will give judges a wider range of sentencing options to consider when addressing the more serious of assault causing harm and domestic abuse cases
- introducing a standalone offence of stalking and strengthening the law around harassment. While any person can be a victim of stalking or harassment, they are again common behaviours in domestic abuse situations. It introduces a new stalking offence defined in terms of causing either a fear of violence, or serious alarm and distress that has a substantial impact on a person’s day-to-day activities
- the Bill also provides for the making of civil orders restraining stalking conduct. These orders form an important first step in addressing stalking behaviour as they do not require the level of proof associated with the criminal offences. Not only are they easier to get than a criminal conviction, they provide a means for victims who don’t want to criminalise the stalker, and encourages engagement with Gardaí at an early stage
- it will also ensure the protection of the identity of alleged victims of harassment and stalking in court proceedings. The background to this provision is that offences like harassment and stalking already impinge on a person’s privacy and personal life. Preventing public identification of victims online or in the media (unless they choose to waive their right to anonymity) is to prevent putting victims at further risk of invasion of their privacy, re-traumatisation or causing them further harm
- the Bill will extend the restriction on alleged perpetrators carrying out their own cross-examinations of victims to a wider range of offences than at present (sexual offences), including those including violence, coercive control, stalking and harassment
3. Enacted the Judicial Appointments Act 2023 to reform the way judges are appointed
4. Enacted the Sex Offenders (Amendment) Act 2023 to improve post release supervision of sex offenders and to provide for electronic tagging
5. Enacted Coco’s Law to criminalise distribution of intimate images without consent.
6. Enacted the Civil Law Miscellaneous Provisions Act to rebalance the duty of care and increase personal responsibility for trips and falls, in order to lower insurance premiums
7. Enacted the Perjury Bill to establish a statutory criminal offence for perjury as part of our plan to lower insurance premiums
8. Enacted a law to remove reporting restrictions which prevented parents from speaking publicly about their deceased child in cases where the child was unlawfully killed.
9. Enacted measures to introduce pre-trial hearing to ensure that victims are less likely to face stressful unexpected delays and adjournments to trial start dates.
10. Enacted a new law on Garda operating model to more front-line Gardaí, increased visibility, and a wider range of policing services for people in their local area.
11. Enacted new regulations to provide for legal aid to the families of the 48 victims and new legislation for a revised jury selection process for the Dublin Coroner, in relation to the new inquests into the Stardust fire tragedy.
12. Enacted and commenced the Communications (Retention of Data) (Amendment) Act 2022 which will facilitate necessary access to certain communications data to protect national security and tackle serious crime.
13. Enacted and commenced the Garda Síochána (Amendment) Act 2022, the legislation has clarified the legal basis of the court presenter system and avoided a potential backlog of cases in District Courts across the State.
14. Amended the Criminal Justice Act 1984 (Treatment of Persons in Custody in Garda Síochána Stations) with the (Amendment) Regulations 2023, to provide for the participation in and attendance of authorised officers of the Competition and Consumer Protection Commission (CCPC) at Garda interviews.
15. Enacted the Garda Síochána (Compensation) Act 2022 to replace the existing Garda compensation scheme with a new statutory scheme that will reduce the waiting times and costs associated with claims for malicious injury to Gardaí or their family members.
16. Enacted the Criminal Justice (Mutual Recognition of Custodial Sentences) Act 2023 on the mutual recognition of custodial sentences, which provides for the transfer of sentenced persons between EU member states. The Act also amends and updates the existing legislation underpinning transfers for non-EU states, including the United Kingdom.
17. Enacted the Smuggling of Persons Act on 15 December 2021 to prevent and combat the smuggling of persons and, for those purposes, to facilitate cooperation with other states.
18. Enacted the Recording Devices Bill to provide for Body worn cameras to protect Garda members, Automatic Number Plate Recognition to detect crime and greater use of CCTV
As Part of the Justice Plan, I am also progressing a number of legislative measures. These include:
1. Enacting the landmark Policing, Security and Community Safety Bill to overhaul of structures and oversight of the Gardaí, and to provide for the establishment of a community safety partnership in every part of the country – each of which will produce a community safety plan
2. Enacting the Family Courts Bill 2022 to establish new dedicated Family Courts within the existing court structures and to put families at the centre of the family justice system (Completed second stage in Seanad)
3. Enacting the Engagement of Children in Criminal Activity Bill to criminalise adults who groom children into a life of crime (the Bill was published on 23 January 2023. Dáil Second Stage completed on 31 May and 1 June. Committee Stage to be scheduled.)
4. Modernising and updating 200 year old licensing law with a new Sale of Alcohol Bill
5. Enacting the sexual offences bill to implement changes to make the courts more victim centred in line with our plan, and to introduce a revised National Referral Mechanism to identify the victims and perpetrators of human trafficking
6. Enacting the Inspection of Places of Detention Bill to provide for national and international inspections of all types of places of detention in the state and to allow Ireland to ratify the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention on the Prevention of Torture.
7. Introducing amendments to the Children Act 2001 to provide a broader range of sentencing options to the courts in certain proceedings involving children.
8. Enacting the Irish Prison Service Bill to put the IPS on a statutory basis with enhanced governance structures
9. Publishing Police Powers bill to improve effectiveness of police powers with new fundamental rights provisions
10. Enacting the new Hate Crime and Hate Speech Bill to reform and modernise the law through the introduction of new, specific hate aggravated offences for crimes motivated by prejudice against protected characteristics (e.g. assault motivated by hate), and up update the 1989 Act in relation to existing hate speech offences
11. Introducing a new Proceeds of Crime legislation to reduce the period from seven years to two years, before criminal proceeds may be confiscated and to increase the tools we have available to combat organised crime.
12. Enacting the Defamation (Amendment) Bill to reform the law on defamation
I have also sought to implement a number of other reforms, including:
- Domestic violence refuge accommodation was brought under the Minister for Justice for the first time and considerable progress has been made to date towards establishing a new DSGBV Agency, which will be up and running in January 2024. The new Agency will commission and fund DSGBV services, put in place national service standards, lead on research and awareness-raising, and coordinate all Government actions set out in the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-Based Violence. The Government’s target is to double the number of refuge spaces in the lifetime of the Third National Strategy.
- A once in a generation scheme to regularise the status of long term undocumented migrant was successfully introduced.
- The development of a new Immigration Services Website that is customer orientated with information available in video format and in various languages.
- The report on the International Protection Modernisation Programme for 2023 and 2024 was published. This programme is implementing measures to improve efficiencies and throughput as well as improving the application, interview and decision-making process for applicants seeking international protection. This will give status to those who are entitled to international protection to rebuild their lives here, while also ensuring faster decision making in respect of those who do not meet the criteria.
- Reforms to the international protection process will continue in 2024. Approximately €34m was allocated in budget 2024 to the International Protection Office (IPO) and the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT) to continue to scale up processing.
- The IPO expects to have approximately 400 staff by the end of 2023, an increase of 95% over 2022, and will make approximately 9,000 decisions this year, more than double that made last year. This increase in processing capacity is aimed at ensuring that those in need of protection receive that status without undue delay, while those that do not qualify are advised of this in good time.
-Introduced a new accelerated decision process for applicants from recognised ‘safe countries of origin’ in November 2022. Since its introduction most applicants from safe countries of origin have received a first instance decision in less than 3 months, which is a significant reduction from a norm of 17 to 24 months in previous years. All applications are examined fully and individually on their merits, including those from countries which are designated as safe countries of origin.
- The processing time for each case is different as case types and circumstances vary considerably. In addition nearly 14% of cases at the IPO this year relate to applicants from designated safe countries of origin. These particular first-instance decisions are made in under three months under an accelerated process. The IPO also works with UNHCR to expedite applications from a number of countries experiencing conflict such as Afghanistan, Syria and Yemen.
- Continue to participate in the negotiation of EU measures related to asylum and migration in particular, the EU Pact on Asylum and Migration.
- Published the Review of Policy options for Prison and Penal Reform 2022-2024 which aims to make Ireland a safer place by ensuring appropriate and proportionate use of imprisonment and community sanctions in a manner which best facilitates rehabilitation and reintegration.
- Published the High Level Task Force on mental health and addiction - established in April 2021 to consider the mental health and addiction challenges of people who come into contact with the criminal justice sector. The final report and recommendations of the Task Force were published in September 2022 by the Ministers for Justice and Health.
- The Report of the Judicial Planning Working Group was published which recommended a substantial increase in judicial numbers, with 44 additional judges to be appointed in two phases. There is a current legislative provision for 198 judicial posts. These include a first tranche of 24 additional judges, which were approved by Government on 21 February, with a further 20 planned following an assessment of impact of the first tranche of judges. As of 1 November 2023, 22 of the 24 additional judges have been appointed. The remaining two have been nominated and are expected to be appointed in the coming weeks. The Report outlines that the indicators monitored as part of the impact assessment should be capable of capturing improvements in efficiency and effectiveness and have regard to increased caseloads, changing demographics, economic conditions, and the impact of new legislation as well as improvements from the implementation of modernisation measures. The Department is in the process of establishing an implementation programme, to conduct that assessment.
543. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice the number of civil servants working in Garda stations currently, by county, in tabular form. [54803/23]
View answerThe unprecedented allocation of over €2.3 billion to An Garda Síochána for 2024 demonstrates the Government's commitment to ensuring Gardaí have provision for the equipment, technology, facilities, fleet and personnel it needs to carry out vital policing work. This includes funding for between 800 - 1,000 new Gardaí and 250 Garda staff.
As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including the distribution of Garda members and staff throughout the State. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
I am however assured by the Garda Commissioner that this distribution is kept under review in light of emerging crime trends and policing needs.
Garda staff perform a number of vital roles that are essential to a modern police service and increase the availability of Gardaí to concentrate on front-line policing duties.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that as of 31 October 2023, the latest date for when figures are available, there were 3,130 Garda staff. This represents an increases of almost 56% since the end of December 2015 when there were 2,007 Garda staff nationwide.
I can also inform the Deputy that since 2015, civilianisation has freed almost 900 Garda members from back office duties nationwide to return to the front line policing for which they have been highly trained.
For the Deputy's information, detailed statistics on Garda workforce numbers are published on my Department's website and updated on a monthly basis. The Deputy can access the statistics at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/bd777-an-garda-siochana-your-police-service-some-facts-and-figures/
544. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice for an update on the work of the Gambling Regulator to date. [54806/23]
View answer545. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice the amount spent on the Gambling Regulator to date. [54807/23]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 544 and 545 together.
The Programme for Government includes a clear commitment to reform gambling legislation, with a focus on public safety and well-being. The Gambling Regulation Bill 2022 will cover gambling online and in person, and include powers to regulate advertising, gambling websites and apps.
When established, Údarás Rialála Cearrbhachais na hÉireann, the Gambling Regulatory Authority of Ireland (GRAI), will be provided with the necessary enforcement powers to enable it to take appropriate and focused action where providers are failing to comply with the provisions of the Authority’s licensing terms, conditions and regulations.
A Programme Board has been established in my Department to ensure that the legislation and the operational preparations are progressed in parallel so that the Authority is in a position to commence operations, on a phased basis, as soon as possible after enactment and appointment of the Authority members. Planning is progressing in the expectation that the legislation will progress through the Houses of the Oireachtas in the coming months.
In this regard, I am pleased to say that the CEO Designate of the GRAI has been appointed and is progressing important preparatory work. Expenditure of €162,000 was incurred in 2022 in respect of advance preparatory work. Provision of €1.774m has been made in the vote of my Department for 2023 and €4.05m for 2024 to meet associated costs.
Considerable progress has been made by the CEO Designate on the establishment of the GRAI, including:
- Extensive and ongoing stakeholder engagement with other Gambling Regulators, industry participants, health care professionals, Gambling Care experts and other public bodies;
- The preparation, approval and publication of a public tender for essential ICT infrastructure;
- Agreement with the ESRI on a research programme on Gambling in Ireland, with publication of the first such study on the 20 June 2023 and the second study, on the measurement of Gambling Harm on 5 October 2023;
- Commissioning KPMG (via OGP tender) to undertake research and analysis into (i) financial modelling and (ii) licensing fee structures to inform and underpin the GRAI’s future self-financing status
- Mapping of licence application vetting/approval processes, based on best practice elsewhere, continues to progress;
- Research and drafting of the Codes of Practice, based on the Bill, as well as best practice elsewhere, is progressing;
- Exploration of options for a Gambler Exclusion scheme, informed by the experience of other countries, is underway;
- The recruitment process in respect of a Director of Licensing, Director of Technology/Digital First and Director of People & Corporate Services has been completed. The successful candidates have accepted their offers of employment and are due to begin in their positions in January 2024.
546. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice the date of her last meeting with the Chief Superintendent in Cork city. [54810/23]
View answerI can inform the Deputy that I met with the Chief Superintendent during a visit to Cork City on August 30 this year, and subsequently at the Chief Superintendents' Conference on September 6.
Most recently, I spoke to the Chief Superintendent by phone in November.
547. Deputy Patrick Costello asked the Minister for Justice to provide an update on the status of the online portal for uploading cyclist and dash camera footage of road traffic offences. [54886/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including all operational policing matters. As Minister, I have no role in how An Garda Síochána investigates any criminal activity or collects evidence.
To be of assistance, I sought the information requested by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána and have been advised that it is envisaged that the mechanism for An Garda Síochána to accept video footage from the public will be via an online portal.
I am also advised that uploading the footage will necessitate having a Digital Evidence Management System (DEMS) to store, manage and process any footage received. I understand that it is planned to introduce such a DEMS as part of the implementation of body worn camera (BWC) technology in An Garda Síochána, as it is also a fundamental building block for the deployment of an enterprise scale BWC solution across the organisation.
As the Deputy may be aware the project to introduce BWC and DEMS to An Garda Síochána is underway, and is being undertaken on a phased basis. The first stage is a limited Proof of Concept (POC) deployment of BWC in a small number of areas which is planned to commence in the first half of 2024 and will be based on recently enacted legislation.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that this POC will of necessity be limited in scope but will provide learnings and be used as valuable operational input for the next and substantive stage of the project, the national procurement and rollout of BWC including the introduction of a DEMS.
The DEMS, in addition to supporting BWC, will support the use of an online portal to enable the public to upload and submit video footage to An Garda Síochána. I am informed that it is currently envisaged that the introduction of such an online portal will be during 2025.
548. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the number of WTE civilian Garda staff, by grade, working in each divisional protective service unit as of 4 December 2023; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54896/23]
View answerI am committed to providing An Garda Síochána with the resources they need to make sure communities around Ireland are safe and feel safe. This is reflected in the unprecedented allocation of €2.3 billion in Budget 2024 - a 23% increase since 2020, allowing for sustained investment in recruitment, equipment and technology.
As the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who has responsibility to carry on and manage and control generally the administration and business of the Garda Síochána, including by arranging for the recruitment, training and appointment of its members and civilian staff.
As of the end of October, 3,130 Garda staff were working alongside Garda members and carrying out vital roles to increase availability of Gardaí to focus on front-line duties. The significant increase in Garda staff has enabled 900 Gardaí to be freed up for front line duties.
I have been informed by the Garda authorities that Garda staff are assigned at a Divisional level to Crime, Community Engagement, Performance Assurance or Business Services. As such, Garda staff are not recorded as being individually assigned to Divisional Protective Services Units which are part of the Crime functional area.
549. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the number of e-bikes currently in the Garda fleet; if this number will be further increased during 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54897/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including all decisions related to the provision of Garda equipment to the Garda fleet and the operational deployment of Garda resources. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
I am advised that as of 18 August, the latest date for which figures are currently available, there are six e-bikes being piloted in the Dublin Metropolitan Region North Central and South Central Divisions. Further procurement will be an operational decision for the Commissioner and his management team.
550. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the number of competitions held for sworn gardaí to apply to join divisional roads policing units in 2022 and to-date in 2023, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54898/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including for the recruitment, training and deployment of Garda members. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
I am, however, assured that the Commissioner keeps the allocation of these resources under continued review, in line with crime and population trends, to ensure their optimum use.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that the table below sets out the number of Divisional Roads Policing competitions held in 2022 and 2023.
|
Year |
Number of competitions |
Status |
|
2022 |
4 |
3 closed and 1 currently in progress |
|
2023 |
5 |
In progress |
551. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice further to Parliamentary Question No. 868 of 7 November 2023, if she has received the necessary information from the Garda authorities to have this question answered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [54899/23]
View answerI understand that Parliamentary Question No. 868 of 7 November 2023 refers to the number of Gardaí, by rank, attached to the Garda water unit as of 31 October 2023; and the corresponding figures as of 31 January 2022, in tabular form.
The unprecedented allocations of over €2 billion to An Garda Síochána in both 2023 and 2024, up 23 per cent since 2020, demonstrates the Government's commitment to ensuring the Gardaí have provision for the equipment, technology, facilities, fleet and personnel it needs to carry out vital policing work. This included provision for high visibility policing through the recruitment of between 800 and 1,000 additional Garda trainees.
As you will be aware, by law the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration of An Garda Síochána, including the distribution of Garda members between the various Garda Units. As Minister, I have no role in these operational matters.
I am advised, by the Garda authorities, that when consideration is given to the allocation of resources (including newly attested Probationer Gardaí, personnel being allocated to specialist units, e.g. Roads Policing, Community Policing, Divisional Protective Services Units, Divisional Drug Units, etc.) and in facilitating transfers of personnel to/from any Division, account is given to commitments and undertakings outlined in the Annual Policing Plan and priorities as determined in delivering ‘A Policing Service for The Future’.
Also taken into account in the context of the requirements of all Garda Divisions nationwide are local and national crime trends and workloads; policing arrangements and operational strategies; minimum establishment statistics; local population and trends, geographical area and size; transfer applications, including welfare/personnel issues and concerns.
I am further advised to ensure the continued level of delivery of policing services within Garda Divisions, local and Senior Garda Management are also consulted during the allocation of personnel and are responsible for the specific deployment/assignment of duties being undertaken at Divisional level. The situation remains closely monitored by the Garda Senior Leadership Team, particularly in view of commitments to the continued roll-out of the Operating Model of policing at Divisional level to ensure optimum use of all Garda Resources in providing the best possible Garda service to the community.
I am informed that as of 31 January 2022, there were 17 Garda members attached to the Garda Water Unit. As at of 31 October 2023, there were 15 Garda members assigned to the Unit. These figures include the ranks of Sergeant and Garda.
