Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 184: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the reason a telephone help line (details supplied), set up by the Garda Commissioner in the wake of the publication of the Murphy report, puts callers through to an answering machine and that any voice message does not seem to be responded to by the Garda Síochána; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2699/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Garda authorities that the telephone help line referred to by the Deputy was set up following the publication of the report of the Commission of Investigation into Child Sexual Abuse in the Dublin Archdiocese on 26 November last. A dedicated telephone line with voicemail facility was installed in the office of the Assistant Commissioner, National Support Services, Harcourt Square, and was continuously monitored by a dedicated call taker and personnel at the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Investigation Unit. I am also informed that after the first week following the installation of the help line there was a marked reduction in the number of calls being received. A decision was therefore taken to alter the period during which the help line was staffed to between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m., Monday to Friday. Any person who was unable to get through to the call taker and who left a voice mail message was called back. Following a subsequent further reduction in the number of calls to the help line, it was decided that the voice mail facility would be utilised full-time, checked on a regular basis, and any caller who had left a message would be responded to. The situation is being kept under review. The Garda authorities are not aware of any calls not being responded to and, if the Deputy has any further information in that regard, I will be happy to have it examined.