Cathal Crowe (Clare, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I understand, from an efficiency point of view, that the Garda wants to free people up from manning lines and have gardaí out there policing the streets. I do not mean this in a disparaging way - the people do not have policing smarts. None of the members of the committee is a garda; none of us has Garda training. It is the witnesses and the members of the force who have that training. I am aware of occasions where people have been on three-minute phone calls. I have made a number of calls myself. The responders get a bit of information but they forget to get the eircode or some other important detail. Sometimes, a situation is unfolding. Whether from a road traffic point of view or a general policing perspective, key stuff is being lost daily because the person on the other end of the line does not have the policing smarts. I mean that in a respectful way. One could only have that knowledge by going through the training, being in a force that does this day in come a day out. There is definitely something lacking in that regard. Will that be improved?