asked the Minister for Justice the progress that has been made on the pilot scheme in Thomastown and Claremorris, County Mayo, where public telephones have a direct connection to the Garda station; and when it is proposed to extend this scheme to Dublin.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Garda Station Telephone Link.
7.
(Limerick East): I would refer the Deputy to the written reply which I gave on 24 November to a question about Garda stations in rural areas. In my reply I stated the up-to-date position in relation to the new system for policing rural areas which has been introduced in two pilot districts and I outlined the main features of the new system. As this system is designed to meet the particular needs and circumstances of rural areas, it is not proposed to extend it to Dublin.
The public access call-boxes which are provided at small rural Garda stations as part of the system are for the purpose of enabling members of the public to make immediate contact with the Garda at times when the stations are closed. As all Garda stations in the Dublin area are open 24 hours a day, there is not the need for the same type of facility at these stations. However the possibility of providing the public with facilities for contacting the Garda, additional to the existing 999 phone facility, is being considered as part of the new Garda radio communications system being provided for the Dublin area.
Will the Minister state whether, in association with the new community watch scheme, telephone lines are being provided in the pilot areas to allow for direct contact with the Garda by members of the public?
(Limerick East): The matter of the adequacy of the telephone lines where the pilot scheme is being applied is being examined. I understand that in one area an extra telephone line is being installed.
Will the Minister state if the telephone system includes the "green man" system outside Garda stations? Will the Minister state how it is intended that will operate?
(Limerick East): In general there is a scheme to provide a radio communications network for the Garda throughout the country. It is being done in two phases: it is being done in the country divisions initially and then in the Dublin metropolitan area as a separate contract. In many rural areas Garda stations are not open for the full 24 hours and the “green man” system — as the Deputy has described it — is used to contact gardaí when they are not on duty in the station in question. In the Dublin area stations are open on a 24-hour basis and, thus, there is no necessity for having the “green man” system on the exterior wall or door of the Garda station. On the other hand, there is an argument that could be made that in certain areas it would be of benefit to local communities to have access if there is not an adequate public telephone service or if there is a problem with the public telephones being vandalised. In the context of the contract for the communications network in Dublin, the idea of whether the “green man” system could be used in a different way than in the rural areas is being examined.
In relation to the rural areas, will this be a supplement to the provisions already there or will it replace staff and result in savings? Which is the purpose? I have come across a case where the "green man" was outside and the station was open all day. People were ringing up from outside and getting through to headquarters some distance away and then the call went back to the local station, which seems unusual. I appreciate it is all at a pilot stage and that is why I am trying to find out how exactly it is intended to be operated.
(Limerick East): Rural policing is on a pilot basis but the Garda communications system is not. There are certain Garda stations which are not manned for 24 hours a day. If somebody arrives at the station and there is a garda manning it he can contact the garda. If such a person arrives at the station and there is not a garda manning it, he will use the “green man” externally and can get into immediate contact with gardaí in the central station.
Does this mean that some of the stations which are on a 24-hour basis will have their hours reduced and that the community will then have to rely on the "green man" outside instead of the blue man inside?
(Limerick East): The Deputy is mixing two different things. There is a radio network all over the country and this involves the “green man” which will help the public to communicate with the Garda when their local station is not manned at the time when people are looking for the Garda. On the other hand, there is the rural policing scheme which does not envisage closing down any Garda stations. The “green man” will help people in rural villages when a station is not open 24 hours a day. Whether the station is a one-man or a two-men station, there will be access to a central station through the communications system.
Though the station is open, the "green man" is on outside and this seems to be an indication that the hours are restricted. Will the green man be a supplement or will it be replacing the service which is there? It is not very clear.
(Limerick East): The green man is a kind of box with a mesh in it. You pull a lever and it gets you through to the central Garda station. On the other hand, if there is somebody in the local station, you go in and you meet the garda.
Obviously this facility will mean there can be a reduction in manning.
(Limerick East): That is not the intention. The Garda communications network is a totally separate concept, costing £10 million. It is entirely separate from and independent of the rural policing pilot scheme which makes for greater access. In many parts of the country at the moment there are one-man or two-men stations and obviously they are not manned for 24 hours a day. In a one-man station, naturally the garda locks the door if he has to go about his business in the village. He is not in the station all day and when he is not the “green man” comes on and people can get access to the central station. They are two independent things.
That still leaves me confused. If it is bigger than a one-man station there are plenty of personnel inside. The comment has been that even though the "green man" is outside it would be much easier to go inside and contact the blue man there. Is this a predisposition to reducing the opening hours of rural stations? I am afraid I will have to inquire further.
(Limerick East): I have been trying to get across that the “green man” communications scheme is a permanent structure. The “green man” is outside the Garda station. Obviously, when the Garda station is manned the gardaí do not put it under their arm and go away with it. It is there. For example, in my city, Limerick, I can take Mary Street Garda station. It is not open at night but it is open during the day. If somebody wants to contact the Garda he uses the “green man” and contacts the central station.