asked the Minister for Justice if he will consider the creation of a new Garda sub-division in North Kildare with particular reference to the need to cater for the requirements of the new growth areas of Maynooth, Leixlip, Celbridge etc.; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Written Answers. - Garda Síochána.
78.
Limerick East): The Garda authorities consider that the creation of an additional Garda district to cater for the North Kildare area would not be warranted at present. One of the difficulties about establishing a new district is that there would be a need for additional personnel on indoor duty, thus reducing the manpower available for outdoor operational duty.
The Garda are conscious, however, of the changing needs of developing areas in North Kildare in so far as policing arrangements are concerned and the divisional officer for Carlow-Kildare is at present reviewing his manpower and transport resources so as to ensure that they are deployed to best advantage in meeting the Garda needs of all the areas in his Division. Apart from the possibility of the redeployment of resources within the Carlow/Kildare Division, the needs of the North Kildare area will be taken into account when the additional manpower now in training and being recruited becomes available for assignment. In addition, it is planned to instal the new Garda radio communications system in the Carlow/Kildare area within the next few months.
Leixlip is served from Lucan station in the Dublin Metropolitan Area. The proposed reduction in the area served from that station when the new station at Ronanstown is opened early next year should result in an improved level of patrolling in the Leixlip area.
I hope that the measures which I have outlined will go some way towards meeting the various requests for improved policing arrangements in the developing areas of North Kildare. It can be taken that the situation will be kept under review by the Garda authorities.
79.
asked the Minister for Justice if he will give details of all payments that have been agreed with members of the Garda Síochána in respect of the payment of disturbance allowance during the course of each of the last three years; the total amounts that have been paid in each of these years; and the total amounts due at present and the nature of any outstanding claims for any such allowances.
Limerick East): A total of £22,600 was paid in 1981 to 113 members of the Technical Bureau of garda, sergeant and inspector ranks arising from the transfer of the bureau from St. John's Road to Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park. the allowance in each case was £200 and the distance between the old and the new location is 1.2 miles. No disturbance allowances have been paid to members of the Force in 1982 or 1983 and no payments are due.
As to outstanding claims the position is that these are the subject of proceedings before the Conciliation Council established under the Garda Conciliation and Arbitration Scheme. Under the scheme the proceedings of the council are confidential and statements about them may not be issued without the authority of the council.
80.
asked the Minister for Justice if extra gardaí will be provided for the Newcastle/Clonmel area, County Tipperary.
Limerick East): The detailed deployment of Garda manpower is a matter for the Garda authorities who report that the current arrangement whereby the Newcastle area is served from Ballymacarbry station provides a reasonably adequate police service for the area. There are no proposals at present to assign extra gardaí to Ballymacarbry.
There is an official motor cycle allocated to Ballymacarbry station and the Newcastle/Ballymacarbry area also receives Garda attention from mobile patrols based at Dungarvan.
82.
asked the Minister for Justice if he has given approval to disband the Special Task Force in areas outside Dublin; and his reasons for doing so.
83.
asked the Minister for Justice if he will make a statement on a newspaper report (details supplied) that the special task force is being disbanded as part of the cutbacks and that there is a general move away from specialisation within the Garda; and the total strength of the task force in January 1983 and at present.
84.
asked the Minister for Justice if he is aware of the grave concern among business people, bank officials and post-office officials and others in charge of large sums of money in County Kerry at the disbandonment of the special task force and its amalgamation with the detective branch, which ultimately means that Garda will be transferred out of the provincial towns in the county and security and protection of these business people will be adversely affected; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
85.
asked the Minister for Justice the total number of gardaí assigned to the special task force between December 1982 and December 1983 in the greater Dublin area and in the country at large.
Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 82 to 85 together.
There are several task forces in the Garda Síochána, none of which has been disbanded.
There is a security task force which was set up in 1978 to deal with certain serious crimes of violence, such as kidnappings, hijackings and the like. It is based in Dublin and is attached to the special detective unit. It operates as and when required throughout the State. Deputy Woods's question refers to a speculative newspaper report of 10 August last that the disbanding of that particular task force was being considered. In fact that report was the subject of an official Garda denial published on the following day.
The other three questions appear to relate to divisional task forces which were set up in 1980 in Garda divisions outside Dublin and which were designed to deal with an upsurge in armed robberies.
The Garda authorities have in recent months made certain organisational changes under which the members of those divisional task forces have been integrated with the detective units in the various Garda divisions in which they operate.
I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that those changes have been made solely in the interests of better Garda organisation and efficiency and are not the result either of financial cutbacks or of any move away from specialisation in the force which in fact is not affected one way or other. The members of the divisional task forces were already of detective rank and remain so. The integration has not led to any change in the total detective strength throughout the country. The Garda authorities are satisfied that the service provided by the Garda Síochána is more effective as a result of the changes and in particular that the protection accorded to the business community, including those who handle large sums of money, has been enhanced rather than diminished by the changes that have been made, which are calculated to provide for better supervision and guidance and also for better liaison between various members or units of the force.
However, I should make it clear that while none of the task forces has been disbanded and no question of such disbandment is being considered, it is of course the duty of the Garda authorities to review from time to time the operation of these as well as other units in the force and to make any changes that are necessary, including, if the occasion arises, the disbanding of any unit that appears to have outlived its usefulness.
It would not be in the public interest to disclose details of the strengths of the various task forces in the Garda Síochána.
Questions Nos. 86 to 88, inclusive, withdrawn.