Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)

Joint policing committees provide a forum where a local authority and the senior Garda officers responsible for the policing of that local authority's area, with the participation of Oireachtas members and community interests, can consult, discuss and make recommendations on matters affecting the policing of the area. The establishment of these committees has great potential to ensure that policing is responsive to local needs. The committees are provided for by the Garda Síochána Act 2005 and operate under guidelines issued by me, after consultation with the Ministers for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. In view of the innovative nature of the committees and the number that will be established — there are 114 local authorities in the country — the committees are being piloted in 29 local authority areas for a limited period under initialguidelines.

I plan to provide for the establishment of a committee in each local authority area in the State as early as possible in 2008, following consultation with my ministerial colleagues. Before doing so, it would be useful to consider the experience gained in the operation of the 29 committees currently established. As part of this process, the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and I have decided to hold a consultation seminar on 29 November. The purpose of the seminar, which we will attend, will be to consider the lessons from the operation of the pilot committees. The outcomes of the seminar will be used in the process of preparing the guidelines under which the committees will be rolled out to all local authority areas. It is planned to invite representatives of the participants in the committees, which will include members of the Garda Síochána, the relevant local authorities, the Oireachtas and representatives of the community and voluntary sector and the representative associations for local authority members and city and county managers. The committees, established last year and this year as part of the pilot phase, have focused on the issues that they consider have the highest priority for them and on finding the most suitable methods of working. They have made good progress and the discussion of their experience will contribute to the outcome of the consultation seminar.

My Department and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government will provide financial assistance for the general support of the committees. It is envisaged that this will cover such areas as training and development, travel expenses for representatives on the committees of the community and voluntary sector and a contribution towards support for staffing for the committees in the larger local authority areas. Provision is made in the Garda Vote and by the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government for this assistance. While none of this funding has yet been drawn down by the committees, this has not restricted their operation.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House.

During the pilot phase, discussions between the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and the office for local authority management have taken place on a number of matters relating to the operation of the committees, including the use of funding available. My Department is in close contact on a continuing basis with the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government on all matters concerning the committees. A meeting will take place in the near future between the two Departments, the County and City Managers Association and the office for local authority management to discuss a range of issues relating to the committees, including utilisation of the funding available. If it is believed necessary, consideration will be given to retrospective support and I expect that any outstanding issues will be resolved, particularly in the roll-out of the committees.

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