Alan Farrell (Dublin Fingal, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I have a number of questions myself that follow on from that point. I will not refer to a deficit in training because that infers wrong-doing or omission, but there might be a difference between the specialised service that the bureau provides to the individual garda on the street, in the car, at the front desk of the station. I am concerned that there could be circumstances where a child has been subject to online harassment, bullying or been subjected to or shared imagery that is beyond their years, where a garda might not be forthright in dealing with it by phoning the bureau. I do not have any specific examples of this but I am aware of instances, both personally and second-hand, where regrettably a crime is reported and there is a shrug of the shoulders with an attitude that what is being reported is minor. That concerns me and it is a legitimate concern regarding training considering the seriousness of this field in which the bureau operates.

I am satisfied to hear of the roll-out and the broadening out of the unit. I have a question regarding training and another relating to the availability of professionals, non-sworn members of An Garda Síochána, who support the activities of sworn members. Are there professionals who are non-sworn members within the witnesses unit? Is there a proposal to bring them in?

The assistant commissioner will forgive me, his opening statement was quite lengthy, but I cannot recall if he referred to 140 units or locations in relation to broadening scale of the unit and the services it provides. Will he clarify that?

I will come back with some further questions.