Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I am satisfied there is adequate provision in the 2006 allocations to implement the major provisions of the Garda Síochána Act 2005. The Garda budget for 2006 is €1.29 billion, an all-time high, and represents an increase of 13% on the allocation for 2005, which was itself a record allocation.

The Act provides for the establishment of a number of new organisations, in particular the Garda Síochána ombudsman commission and the Garda inspectorate. A provision of €10.01 million has been made in the Justice, Equality and Law Reform Vote for the Garda Síochána ombudsman commission, and a provision of €1.902 million has been made in the same Vote for the Garda inspectorate.

The Act also provides that I may issue guidelines for the establishment by each local authority and the Garda Síochána of joint policing committees. I am proposing that joint policing committees should be established on a pilot basis in a number of local authority areas as a first step and I will issue the necessary guidelines shortly. They have been the subject of consultation between my Department and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government. This approach is based on advice I received from the review group on the implementation of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, chaired by Senator Maurice Hayes, whose report I published last month. Senator Hayes is an enthusiastic supporter of a Garda reserve force.

My Department and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government propose to make available €600,000 in total for the operation of the committees on a pilot basis when they are established this year. There is adequate provision in the Garda Vote to meet my Department's contribution of €300,000.

The Act also provides for the establishment of reserve members. A sum of €1.28 million has been allocated in the Garda Vote this year for the recruitment of reserve members. That was the subject of extensive publicity when the Estimates were published last year. The Act provides for the transfer of responsibility for civilian staff in the Garda Síochána from my Department to the Garda Commissioner. This is planned for September 2006. The cost of these staff is borne on the Garda Vote and there is provision in that Vote of more than €46 million for clerical, industrial and other civilian staff. Full provision has been made.

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