Gerard Murphy (Cork North West, Fine Gael)

I will try not to repeat what other Deputies have said as we may have many of the same concerns. We are generally in agreement with the concept of a volunteer or reserve police force. There is concern about the amount of power such a force would have. Deputy Jim O'Keeffe recommended a reserve or back-up police force as more appropriate than a volunteer police force. The former is there to assist the Garda Síochána rather than take over the role of the Garda Síochána.

There is no clear indication if the force will be totally voluntary, if there will be some payment or if there will be expenses. When this was discussed on Committee Stage it was indicated that there would be people, retired from the Garda Síochána or other professional organisations, willing to get involved in a project in their area of speciality.

In the run-up to the Bill Deputy Costello prepared a document on community policing. The importance of community policing was clearly shown for the first time, as was the fact that it was under-resourced until now. One recommendation was that community policing should be an established force within the Garda Síochána. It should have a separate budget and a separate assistant commissioner dealing with community policing. I worry that the concept of a volunteer or reserve police force will be used to dilute the necessity for full-time, fully resourced community policing. I can see how a reserve force could be of assistance to community policing but, considering the track record of this Government in providing resources, it is more likely the Government will use the reserve force as a cheap way to replace the community policing programme.

Many questions must be answered. There seems to be an obvious contradiction where the legislation refers to the reserve force having the same power as gardaí, but refers elsewhere to this power being determined by the Commissioner. There is no doubt that the powers of the reserve force should be debated and decided by this House. The House should be responsible to the people for the powers it grants a reserve force. There is much to be said for dealing with this separately so there is a clear indication of where the concept is going.

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