Louis J. Belton
Ceist:6 Mr. Belton asked the Minister for Justice if he has any plans to offer training programmes on a contract basis to security personnel and members of forces from other countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Police Force Training Programmes for Non-Nationals.
Michael Lowry
Ceist:60 Mr. Lowry asked the Minister for Justice if he has any plans to offer training programmes on a contract basis to security personnel and members of forces from other countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Frank Crowley
Ceist:66 Mr. Crowley asked the Minister for Justice if he has any plans to offer training programmes on a contract basis to security personnel and members of forces from other countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Donal Carey
Ceist:68 Mr. Carey asked the Minister for Justice if he has any plans to offer training programmes on a contract basis to security personnel and members of forces from other countries; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 60, 66 and 68 together.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that they have no plans to offer training programmes on a contract basis to security personnel and members of forces from other countries.
Would the Minister agree that the general principles should be that the State should, wherever possible, try to sell its services to meet the cost of delivering services and that in this instance we have the capacity and the expertise to raise considerable earnings from the contract work?
I do not think it would be appropriate to offer training programmes to members of the public and private security firms. At present the training college is fully occupied. In addition, a huge range of in-service training programmes is provided for serving members of the Garda Síochána. Furthermore, English speaking training courses are being made available under the arrangements agreed between the TREVI Ministers who wish to see greater co-operation between existing police forces. In the recent past members of the Hungarian police force attended the training college to determine if it could be used for this purpose. It was never the intention to offer training programmes at the training college to members of the public or private security firms. That is not being recommended.
Would the Minister agree that it would be worth considering the possibility of providing police force training programmes not to civilians, but to some of the developing countries which may welcome the possibility of having members of their police force trained at Templemore? Given that the Garda Síochána are undertaking new police activities in a number of trouble spots around the world it could prove to be of benefit to the Garda Síochána, the State and developing countries to establish relationships with these countries and provide that type of training.
It comes down to a question of how the resources that have to be made available to meet the cost of training our own recruits in the Garda are allocated. They are fully stretched at present but the English speaking training courses are a step in that direction. As I have said, representatives of other police forces have attended the college to look at the facilities that are available there. Perhaps these could be made available either on a contract or ex gratia basis.
On a contract basis.
A case could be made for providing them on an ex gratia basis in certain circumstances to emerging police forces in Central and Eastern Europe. However we may put the existing services under enormous strain. Many people do not understand that in-service training programmes are provided at Templemore on an ongoing basis for serving members of the force.