Vol. 1030 No. 5
2. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Justice if she will support an alteration to the policy in relation to the arming of gardaí; if she will support more gardaí being armed with firearms or tasers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60564/22]
What is the Minister's position on the arming of gardaí? What is her position as regards the idea of more gardaí being armed with firearms or tasers? I am coming from a position of opposing steps in that direction. It has been a matter of some public debate recently with the comments of the Tánaiste so I am interested in hearing the Minister's position.
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. An Garda Síochána is a community police service with strong links to the communities it serves, built on a culture of policing by consent. Over the last century, from the turbulent years of the Civil War and through the devastating years of the Troubles, the Garda has remained a largely unarmed police service. The resolve and vision set out by the first Garda Commissioner, Michael Staines, that An Garda Síochána would succeed "not by force of arms or numbers, but on their moral authority as servants of the people" is as true today as it was 100 years ago. That An Garda Síochána has remained unarmed is a tribute to the organisation and to the Irish people. A deep connection to community and a commitment to service is embedded in the culture of An Garda Síochána and is something the organisation is rightly proud of. The Commissioner is committed to ensuring the organisation continues to evolve to remain representative of all the diverse communities it serves.
That said, it is undoubtedly the case that gardaí operate in often dangerous environments and it is important that they have the equipment they need to do their jobs safely, not to mention effectively. Units such as the emergency response unit and the armed response units are central to the Garda response to serious crime and are trained and equipped accordingly. I am assured by the Garda Commissioner that the health and safety of gardaí is of paramount and ongoing importance to him. It is clearly imperative that Garda members are issued with appropriate equipment for their duties. To ensure this, there is a constant review by Garda authorities of all operational and protective equipment, including the use of tasers and other incapacitants.
I am glad to see the Minister opposing, in effect, the position being argued by the Tánaiste. I want to make some points about tasers because this is part of the debate now. The Garda Representative Association, GRA, has supported arming gardaí with tasers. That would be a step in the wrong direction. In the United States, more than 1,000 people have been killed by police, the bulk of them since 2000, through the use of tasers. Some 90% of those victims were unarmed. This applies particularly to vulnerable groups, such as children, pregnant people, elderly people and people who would be particularly thin. It is possible to recognise all of those things but you cannot identify people who have a history of heart disease or seizures or who have pacemakers and so on. What is the Minister's position on the question of tasers in particular?
The Deputy referred to the Tánaiste. What he said, very clearly, when answering a direct question, was that it was a matter for the Garda Commissioner, which it is. He said he would consider any request from the Garda Commissioner. I believe the strength of the Garda Síochána has been through policing by consent. It is an unarmed police force. We have heard many times in this centenary year that the Garda ethos is based not on force of arms but on the relationship with the community. Of course we all want to keep our streets safe. We want to provide the Garda with the resources to do that but crime is changing all the time and we have to embrace new technology and ensure our gardaí have the most up-to-date technology they need to fight crime. That includes the roll-out of body cameras for members of An Garda Síochána. This Government is committed to providing the Garda with the resources it needs to tackle crime.
I might come back some other day to discuss the question of body cameras. I want to use my remaining time to ask about the killing of George Nkencho by gardaí two years ago now. George's family were given to understand by the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC, that every attempt would be made to complete that investigation within a year of the killing, which would have been December of last year. The investigation has dragged on and on. I understand that it has now concluded and that the findings have been submitted for extended peer and legal review. I also understand that when that is complete, the report will go to the three commissioners to evaluate and decide the next steps. Where is that process at the moment? When will the peer and legal review be complete? When will the findings go to the three commissioners? What kind of timescale are we looking at for the release of this report and proposals?
I will be answering a further question on this matter later on. I am advised by GSOC that it has deployed significant resources to the investigation and that the investigation is at an advanced stage. I understand that a draft report, pursuant to section 101 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, has been prepared and is currently subject to internal and external peer review, as well as legal review.
We will now go back to Question No. 1, which is being taken by Deputy Daly on behalf of Deputy Martin Kenny.
1. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Justice if she will provide an update on any plans her Department has to remedy the crisis in garda retention. [60923/22]
Will the Minister provide an update on any plans the Department has to remedy the crisis in garda retention? There has been a significant issue with garda recruitment and retention for some time but it is getting increasingly worse. I am concerned that if this continues, we will be left with a significant shortage of gardaí, particularly in Dublin where numbers have reduced by 18% since 2009. My colleague Deputy Martin Kenny recently discussed the issue with the Garda Commissioner. Does the Minister have any plans to remedy the situation?
I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As Minister, I am committed to delivering the necessary resources to bring the number of Garda members to 15,000 and beyond. There is no evidence of an issue in relation to retention of Garda members. Of the 14,211 sworn members, only around 100 in total will resign this year. That is just 0.7% of the total Garda members. Since 2015, the budget for An Garda Síochána has increased by approximately €672 million, or 46%. This has allowed for sustained and ongoing recruitment. This includes an increase of almost 12% in Garda members throughout the country.
In addition, since 2015, more than 870 Garda members have been freed up from back-office duties to front-line policing because of civilianisation. The Government's commitment to ensuring An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs is underscored by the unprecedented €2.14 billion allocated in budget 2023, which will allow for up to 1,000 new gardaí to be recruited next year, as well as 400 Garda staff. The recruitment campaign for An Garda Síochána in 2022 saw 11,000 people expressing an interest in joining the service. This will provide us with a clear pipeline of recruits. The number of attestations this year so far is 369, which means almost 500 will have completed or begun their training in 2022. I recognise that policing is difficult and challenging work and I know the Commissioner is also conscious of this. A number of programmes have been introduced to support members and I hope these can continue to be expanded in future years.
We are all immensely grateful to our gardaí for their outstanding dedication and commitment to serving the public and for the important role they play in our society.
I agree it is challenging work and many of the newer recruits look forward to that. However, we see that large numbers of the resignations are coming from those who were recruited since 2015. It was usual for six to eight recruits to leave per year but we are now in a situation where that number of gardaí are resigning every few months. Increasingly, gardaí tell me the job does not meet their expectations. They find there are layers of bureaucracy. For example, if they are involved in investigating a minor case, they have to scan their notebook, input to the PULSE system and then input to the investigation management system. This is even required for cases such as material damage in a road traffic accident. That is before we ever get to the matter of the cut in gratuities, wages and terms and conditions in a tough job.
The number of people retiring is very small when it is taken in the context of overall Garda numbers. In 2018, there were 0.5% retirements, and in 2022, the number is 0.7%. When we take account of the overall Garda numbers, the number of retirements is relatively small. We continue to provide resources. As the Deputy will be aware, resource management, including succession planning, is a matter for the Commissioner. The Government has provided the funding to allow for sustained recruitment and is committed to ensuring An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs. I am advised that 149 Garda members are eligible for compulsory retirement in 2023 and up to an additional 695 members will be eligible for voluntary retirement. This means a total of 844 Garda members will be eligible to retire in 2023. However, only a portion of those eligible will take up the opportunity in the year in question, and Garda management has indicated it plans for tranches of approximately 200 trainees to enter the college every 11 weeks throughout 2023.
That is an interesting statistic the Minister has given. On a rough sketch of the numbers an increase from 0.5 % to 0.7% means an additional 280 gardaí retiring if the overall number is 14,000. Figures available from An Garda Síochána state that approximately 400 to 450 retire yearly and the number of new recruits is simply not covering the number of gardaí retiring. Furthermore, we have a significant issue in retention. While six to eight gardaí used to leave per year, those numbers are leaving every few months. In particular, a number seem to be leaving the Dublin region and others are resisting a transfer to the area. I recently heard of four newly recruited gardaí in Wicklow leaving around the same time. Gardaí who resign cite a number of reasons but top of the pile are a lack of work-life balance, expectations not matching the reality, and an increase year on year in the level of bureaucracy and paperwork they have to undertake.
In 2022, there were 101 resignations out of a total Garda force of 14,211. Those are the actual figures. The Deputy mentioned the Dublin metropolitan region. In 2015 there were 590 gardaí in Dublin north central. There are 655 gardaí there in 2022. In Dublin metropolitan area south central in 2015 there were 627 gardaí and on 30 September 2022 there were 692 gardaí. That shows significant increases and we must remember the Garda College in Templemore was closed during the economic crisis and for almost two years during the Covid-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, we were not able to train as many gardaí at that stage but we are working hard to get those numbers back up again.
3. Deputy Martin Kenny asked the Minister for Justice if she will provide an update on the establishment of the independent parole board. [60925/22]
Question No. 3 in the name of Deputy Martin Kenny will be taken by Deputy Pa Daly.
Will the Minister for Justice provide an update on the establishment of an independent parole board?
I thank the Deputy for raising the question. The Parole Board was established as a statutory body under the Parole Act 2019 on 31 July 2021, replacing the former interim parole board which had been in place since 2001. Under the Act, victims now have a right to engage in the parole process. Victim engagement is an important element of the work, and the board is currently engaging with 291 victims in relation to 105 applications for parole. I understand no victim details are available in some cases and, in others, the victims do not wish to participate in the process, which is very much their right.
When a victim chooses to register with the Parole Board, the staff of the board work with them to facilitate their submission. I understand the board’s written materials were developed in conjunction with the National Adult Literacy Agency, NALA, and are written in plain English. Where at all possible, the Parole Board facilitates a victim making a submission at a time and place that suits them and in a format that suits them. The Parole Board public information campaign to inform and engage with victims, My Voice Counts, was launched on Wednesday, 23 November 2022 on radio, print and digital platforms. The campaign will seek to inform the public, and especially victims of serious crime, about the Parole Board, its work and the rights of victims within the new parole process. Both victims and parole applicants have access to legal representation under the Act, and the Parole Board has established a legal aid scheme and formed a panel to provide this legal assistance. I am informed that 221 people serving prison sentences who are eligible to apply for parole have applied to date. The Parole Board wrote to all applicants outlining the process and informing them of their proposed review date earlier this year. Representatives of the board have also held information sessions for life-sentenced prisoners in all the relevant prisons and will do so on a rolling basis.
The board, which comprises 13 members, held its first meeting in September 2021 and has met at least monthly thereafter, with the exception of August 2022. Decisions on 11 parole applications have been made this year to date, and the board expects to review at least ten cases per month in 2023.
One of the objectives in the programme for Government was the establishment of the independent Parole Board, and I welcome the steps that were taken recently. I note that according to Radio Kerry the chairperson is a Kerrywoman. The process will now give a statutory right for the voice of victims of crime to be heard. This was desperately needed and is welcome. We cannot underestimate the power and strength it gives to a victim of crime to have an input into the future of someone who has changed, and sometimes destroyed, their lives. It is important for the voices of victims to be heard, respected and understood in this regard. It is my understanding that, since it recently became operational, new reports have been made available detailing the wait facing offenders due to come before the courts about their parole hearings, but the ultimate focus here is that the wait is also facing victims, and that is concerning.
I acknowledge there is a backlog of cases at the moment. The transition phase from the interim parole board processes will take at least two years to work through.
The board increased its number of meetings this year with a view to increasing the number of applications being considered. It will do so even further in 2023. However, the number of cases reviewed still remains lower than anticipated. There are a number of causes for this, primarily victim engagement. Engagement with victims has proven to be a lengthier process than first anticipated but it is extremely important to get this right. This is the most significant challenge and contributed to the delays in the original timelines. Other reasons for delay include the length of time taken to receive reports as well as board capacity. The Parole Board wrote to all applicants outlining the process and informing them of the proposed review date earlier this year. For those who had anticipated being reviewed before now an update has issued informing them of the delay and the reason for it. However, as the Deputy rightly points out, with the backlog it is the victims we are most centrally concerned about.
Given the acknowledged delays that are taking place, will the Minister of State consider providing extra resources in order to clear the backlog and address the meetings and speed things up? As the Minister of State said, they will meet more regularly to help clear any difficulties because the ultimate focus is that the wait facing the victim could have further impacts on a person's mental health while they await a parole hearing where they intend to open up to the board about the effect that the crime had on them. That is difficult to quantify in reality. Will any extra action be taken by the Department in order to combat the delays? Is it about human resources, financial resources, or both? What steps can the Minister of State take?
These delays were unanticipated. However, having realised the delays, we have already taken pro-active steps to clear the backlog. The board is now fully operational and is hearing cases. Furthermore, it has developed a structured plan which will see a significant increase in meetings and applications considered right throughout 2023. To support this work a 23% increase of funding has been allocated to the board for 2023. I am confident that this will assist the board. We are working through the applications on hand with as little further delay as possible.
4. Deputy Peter Fitzpatrick asked the Minister for Justice the reason that only 92 new members started in Templemore this week; if issues relating to pay, conditions, pension, paperwork, rosters and antisocial working hours are impacting the recruitment process; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60622/22]
I ask the Minister for Justice why only 92 new members started in Templemore this week, whether issues relating to pay, conditions, pensions, paperwork, roster issues and antisocial working hours are impacting on the recruitment process, and will she make a statement on the matter?
I thank Deputy Fitzpatrick for raising this issue. The Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs, as shown by the unprecedented allocation provided in budget 2023 of €2.14 billion. This level of funding will support the planned recruitment of up to 1,000 new Garda members and 400 new Garda staff. It is clear that we have a strong pipeline of recruits coming through who wish to become members of An Garda Síochána. There was a high level of interest in the recent Garda recruitment campaign and the recruitment process is continuing to identify candidates to enter the Garda College over the coming period. More specifically, 92 successful candidates entered the Garda College on 28 November 2022. This is the first group to enter from this competition. Hundreds more are at various stages of the selection and clearance process and due to enter the college over the course of 2023. In particular further intakes of 200 trainees are scheduled at 11-week intervals over the course of next year beginning in quarter 1 of 2022. I encourage all candidates on the panel to ensure they are ready to engage in the final process and in a position to take up their offers when received. Notwithstanding the continued popularity of An Garda Síochána as a career it is of course a challenging role and I am assured by the Garda Commissioner that a number of important services and supports have very properly been put in place in recent years. These include increasing well-being supports such as the employee assistance service which is available to all Garda members, staff, retired members, trainees and probationers, and their families. There is also a 24-7, 365-day telephone helpline and counselling service, a well-being hub, peer supports and a chaplaincy service. While these and other Garda human resources or personnel issues are matters for the Garda Commissioner, in which I have no role, the Garda authorities have of course my full support in ensuring that gardaí have the resources, supports and technology to perform their difficult role in the community.
The Minister said that 92 recruits started in Templemore on 28 November 2022. I believe that two recruits have already dropped out. I question the reason for the drop-outs. I also asked about pay, conditions, pensions, paperwork and rosters and I got no reply whatsoever. I believe there is a problem with recruits. Are standards being dropped in order to reach targets? Are people being called back for second interviews after failing the initial interview?
The 92 recruits started. Possibly some of them may have dropped out. Sometimes when you start a job it might not take you too long to realise that it might not be the job for you. We know of many people who started in other careers. I remember when I started in the bank many moons ago, we used to start the training course in tranches of six and maybe after the first few days one or two could have dropped off and said that it was not for them. We have to accept that some people in good faith take up the jobs but decide that this is not what they wanted. Sometimes they might get a better offer. We are in a very competitive labour market. As Members know, unemployment is at its lowest level ever. There are more people working in this country than ever before. It is competitive but we as a Government are focused on continuing to recruit more gardaí through Templemore. There will be 200 every 11 weeks throughout 2023. There is a strong pipeline of recruits and the Government has set a target of 15,000 gardaí and 4,000 Garda staff for a total workforce of 19,000 people.
Are standards being dropped in order to reach targets? Are people being called back for second-round interviews after failing initial interviews? It is a very simple question. I ask the Minister for the third time, are any issues relating to pay, conditions, pension, paperwork, roster issues and antisocial hours impacting recruitment? The Minister said earlier that she does not think there is a problem with recruitment but when I talk to people on the ground there seems to be a problem. I believe that people are being called back for a second interview after failing the initial interview. I would appreciate if the Minister would stick to the questions I asked.
I think perhaps if they fail on the fitness side of things they get an opportunity to do the test again. As to whether they are called back for a second interview, I will have to check that information out because I do not have it to hand. This starts off with a pass process. The Garda Síochána and the Garda Commissioner then deal with the processing of the applications. I can find the specific answer for the Deputy and I will get a written answer. I will say that recruitment is a multistage process and those selected are capable of becoming efficient and effective Garda members. The candidates who applied for the 2022 recruitment competition are beginning to come through that process and into training. This will continue into 2023. I will also say that gardaí remain one of the highest-paid groups of public servants. It is not an easy job. It is a difficult job. I will also reiterate the fact that this Government is committed to supporting the gardaí in every way we can. The budget for An Garda Síochána for 2023 is an unprecedented one. More than €2.1 billion has been allocated to An Garda Síochána’s budget for 2023.
5. Deputy Catherine Connolly asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons who have arrived in Ireland to date under the Afghan admissions programme; her plans to ensure that all 500 places will be filled on the programme; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [60481/22]
My question is very direct. Will the Minister clarify the number of persons who have arrived in Ireland to date under the Afghan admissions programme and her plans to ensure that all promised 500 places will be filled given that as late as 22 November 2022 not a single approval had been given?
It has changed slightly since then. Up to 22 November, no decisions had issued, notwithstanding the fact that the programme will have been in existence for a year on 16 December next.
I thank the Deputy for raising the question. This is a difficult situation for our Afghan community and their loved ones. I take this opportunity to assure them that we are processing applications under the Afghan admission programme as quickly as possible. It should be noted that the Afghan admission programme is not the only avenue for Afghan nationals to come to Ireland. Since the beginning of August 2021 up to 28 November last, a total of 142 visas had been approved for Afghan nationals to join family members and 104 family reunification applications had also been approved. A significant number of Afghan people have also been allocated places under the Irish refugee protection programme, which comes within the remit of the Department of Children, Equality, Disability, Integration and Youth. My Department provides the visas to facilitate their travel to Ireland. Almost 600 visa waiver letters have been issued to date.
The Afghan admission programme is an additional avenue open to the relatively small number of Afghan nationals living here to allow them to bring close family members here to live with them. The Department has received 528 applications to the Afghan admission programme. I am happy to state that approvals have started to issue. As of Friday, 25 November, the Department had issued approvals for 22 people under the programme. No refusal letters have issued to date.
To ensure that as many people as possible can avail of this important programme, my Department has been liaising with representatives of the Afghan community and with applicants directly to ensure we have everything we need to progress their applications. Where applicants are missing important information, such as proof of identity and familial relationships, my Department is contacting people directly to try to gather the required documents. The process of contacting proposers is under way, with over 95% of sponsors contacted to date. The requested information has begun to be received. I would also like to assure the Afghan community that the applications continue to be assessed in a pragmatic and humanitarian manner with a view to issuing more decisions soon.
I thank the Minister of State for the background, but I already have the background. I am specifically asking about this scheme because it was in addition to the other schemes that were already in existence. The uptake relating to those schemes was extremely low. This specific scheme was introduced after the Taliban takeover in August 2021. I have 40 seconds to speak. I am not going to go into what has been done in Afghanistan by the Taliban in respect of women and children, the lack of education and violence and killings. This scheme was a specific response by our country to say that we will take in up to 500, but we have not taken in a single person. Between 22 November and 25 November, we finally approved 22 applications. Have any of the people to whom they relate arrived in Ireland? Am I wrong to say that not a single person or family has arrived in Ireland under this scheme that will be a year old on 16 December, despite our commitment to do something in response to what happened in Afghanistan?
By my maths, 846 Afghans have been approved through the other schemes and, as I said, where they can be used, they are being used to help Afghans. In the context of this particular scheme, there have been 528 applications and 22 applications have been approved. There has been a challenge in terms of the information being provided within those various applications, which has proven to be challenging. Our Department is working actively with the Afghan community and with each and every one of those applicants. In circumstances where important and relevant documentation is missing, we are trying to get it in order that applications can be processed as quickly as possible. As already stated, it is not the only way in which Afghans can come to Ireland and some 846 have come through the other processes. We are working through these as quickly as possible. However, we need the relevant documentation to be able to do the relevant checks relating to the scheme.
Let us look at the 846. They have been approved under the other schemes, but the Minister of State has no information on whether they arrived in Ireland. Obviously, we thought another scheme was necessary in response to what happened in August 2021. Given our horror at what was happening in the streets, cities and towns of Afghanistan, and the fact that things were going backwards for women and children, we brought in a new scheme. A year later, absolutely nobody has been brought in under that scheme. Suddenly, within three days, we have progress and there have been 22 approvals. However, it is still the case that nothing has happened on the ground. We have welcomed what the Government has done with regard to refugees from Ukraine, but we cannot make distinctions in terms of the way we are doing it. The Ombudsman has issued a report today on how we treat children from different countries. This is one opportunity to show that we are making it work. Can the Minister of State please explain why there has been such a delay?
On the applications, there has been a challenge in terms of the information that has been provided. We have to examine the information that is provided, and that is part of any process of issuing visas or any type of programme for admission to the country. We do not bring any people to the country under the scheme; we simply issue permissions for people to come here. As already stated, the Department is not simply standing back. It is working proactively with the Afghan community in respect of each of those applications to see how we can get the information required. The State has a process it has to go through before it can issue permissions to people to allow them to come into the country. The integrity of the systems in that regard has to be maintained.
