Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I put it to the Deputy that the members of the Defence Forces have specific training and capabilities and it is important that they use those capabilities in appropriate circumstances. Members of the Defence Forces are not trained in the prevention and detection of crime. The training provided to members of An Garda Síochána is quite different from that provided to members of the Defence Forces, although in some areas they have joint concerns, including the possible impact of international terrorism on the country. The Garda Síochána has a particular role in this regard as do the Defence Forces. It would not be appropriate, as the Deputy has suggested, to deploy soldiers at corporal and sergeant level to act as assistants to the Garda Síochána for a period of two months following three months of training. It would be completely inappropriate. The training members of the Defence Forces get is very specific. It is important that we have a particular strength available within the Defence Forces for deployment either to assist the civil power or to deal with other domestic duties that arise and to engage in international peacekeeping and peace enforcement missions, as they do with great distinction in various parts of the world.

I return to what I said to Deputy Collins. There are 13,450 members in An Garda Síochána currently. On top of this, there are in excess of 1,000 members in the Garda Reserve. Some 2,000 civilians are employed within An Garda Síochána and within the force there is the skill, expertise and resources required to address issues of criminality. I am sorry if I upset Deputy Niall Collins by saying it, but as a result of the closure of Garda stations which the Commissioner has determined to have no operational value we will be freeing more members of the force to engage in community policing and crime detection and prevention. I have every confidence in the capacity of the Garda to provide the service that the community requires.

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