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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 5 Mar 1997

Vol. 475 No. 8

Written Answers. - Civilians Employees in Garda.

Noel Treacy

Ceist:

183 Mr. N. Treacy asked the Minister for Justice the number of civilians currently working for the Garda Síochána; the number of those persons who have been employed since July 1996; her views on whether there is room for further civilianisation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6278/97]

I understand that the Deputy is referring to clerical staff employed in the Garda area.

The position is that the anti-crime package announced by the Government on 2 July 1996 provided for an increase of 200 in the number of civilians to be recruited to enable an equivalent number of gardaí to be released from clerical-administration type duties to operational duties. This figure included a provision for 120 clerical staff. There were 728 clerical staff working in the Garda area at 28 February 1997 as compared with 675 on 31 July 1996 and it is expected that this figure will rise to 793 by the end of June 1997. There are some vacancies in the clerical assistant ranks and the necessary arrangements to fill those posts have been put in place which will allow positions to be filled by June 1997.
The recruitment of personnel to fill the 80 nonclerical civilian posts under the anti-crime package is dependent on selection from competitions run by the Civil Service Commission. The results of one such competition are expected shortly. Arrangements to have further competitions held are at an advanced stage and it is expected that these competitions will be advertised shortly.
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