asked the Minister for Justice whether encouragement is given to those members of the Garda Síochána who are at present undertaking university courses; whether he has figures of the number in the force attending university; and whether the Department are planning to encourage an increase in these numbers in the years ahead.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Garda Síochána University Courses.
54.
Up to now any members of the force who have been attending university courses have done so as a matter of private arrangement and they have been facilitated by the Garda authorities by adjustments of their hours of duty.
Owing to the recent reduction of the hours of duty from 48 to 42 per week the Commissioner has reported that it would not be possible to free members of the force as before at particular times over prolonged periods without detriment to the rights of their colleagues in the rostering of duties.
As I stated in reply to a parliamentary question on 19th May, the question of affording facilities to selected members of the force to attend university courses on a full-time basis is one of a number of matters raised in the Conroy Report to which attention will be given immediately that matters of greater priority have been dealt with.
Is it correct to state that individual members of the Garda Síochána, who, by their own exertions, have been attending university courses up to now, will not be facilitated in future?
That is not correct.
Could the Minister tell me in what sense it is incorrect because that is what I understood from his reply?
The Conroy Report made certain recommendation in this regard and these have not yet been raised by the representative bodies in their discussions with the Department but when they are raised they will be fully considered.
Perhaps the Minister misunderstands me. Did he not say that existing members of the Garda Síochána who are now being facilitated in this respect will not be facilitated in future?
What I said was that some members who are at present attending university and who had arrangements to be put on certain hours of duty for long periods cannot be guaranteed such facilities in future. This, as has been pointed out to them by the Commissioner and their superior officers, is in fairness to their colleagues.
Therefore, this means that gardaí who are presently attending universities will not in future be facilitated. Is that the position?
Some of the members who have been attending may not be able to attend in future.
They will find it difficult to attend.
After three minutes of supplementary questions, we have established that some members who are at present attending universities will not in future be facilitated. Is that the position?
Since that is what I have told the Deputy I can hardly say it is not.
So that the Minister is now saying that in future, because of rostering arrangements, some members who are at present attending universities cannot be facilitated?
Members of the Garda Síochána who are at present attending universities are doing so purely privately.
Surely the Minister endorses that?
I certainly do endorse it but I endorse to a greater extent what is proposed by the Conroy Commission and I hope that within the foreseeable future it will be possible to implement these proposals. I wish to see this happen because I want to see fairness as between each individual member of the Garda Síochána. As matters stand at present, only those members who are stationed in one of three cities can avail of these facilities. I regard it as being fortuitously unfair to the many thousands of members who do not happen to be in any one of these three cities that they cannot avail of the same facilities. It is my hope that in the foreseeable future arrangements can and shall be made whereby any member of the force who would be likely to benefit from taking a university degree will be afforded full facilities for doing so.
Will the Minister not agree that individual initiative should not be dampened?
This would appear to be turning into a discussion.
Can the Minister indicate how certain gardaí would be selected for courses?
An Leas-Cheann Comharle
That is a separate question.
It is a completely separate question.
But it was the Minister who referred to it.
The recommendations would have to be examined in great detail in this regard.