Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees
Wednesday, 12 December 2012
Joint Oireachtas Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality
Review of Legislation on Prostitution: Discussion
2:25 pm
Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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My question is linked to the comments made by Deputy Finian McGrath. What are the views of the witnesses on the ability of the Garda Síochána to deal with the issue? By the end of January 2011, some 495 members of An Garda Síochána had participated in training to tackle trafficking in human beings, its prevention, protection and prosecution.
A further 3,000 probationer gardaí were trained on the same course, along with 32 members of the Garda Reserve. Do the witnesses have any views on the ability of the Garda Síochána to deal with the issue at ground level? We have a different debate with the Minister about the resourcing of the Garda Síochána, which cannot become part of this debate, but are they sufficiently well trained to deal with the issue?