Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I assure the Deputy that the Government is fully committed to ensuring that members of An Garda Síochána enjoy a high standard of working conditions and that they are properly resourced and equipped to carry out their duties. Even during the difficult economic period, every effort was made to protect the Garda budget. In line with the recent economic improvement, the 2016 Garda budget allocation of €1.5 billion, for example, includes over €67 million in additional funding from the previous year. In addition, the Government has recently approved €55 million to maintain the necessary policing response to tackle gangland and associated crime. This will allow for concentrated policing targeting gang related crime, the continued intensive and strategic targeting of burglaries and related crime through ongoing support for Operation Thor and continued support for measures against terrorism.

In respect of the Lansdowne Road agreement, my officials are in discussions with the GRA and the AGSI as we speak with the objective of creating a pathway to their re-engagement with that process. I have met representatives of both associations in recent weeks to convey my support for such re-engagement and that of the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform and to encourage the associations to continue to actively engage in the process, which I very much hope they will.

In the programme for a partnership Government, we have committed to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement and provide reassurance to citizens. Key to achieving that goal is the commitment in the programme for a partnership Government to continue to accelerate the Garda recruitment programme with a view to increasing Garda numbers to 15,000.

In accelerating recruitment we want to ensure - this is linked to the point made by Deputy O'Callaghan about working conditions - that there is proper supervision and training for recruits when they come and leave. This point was picked up on by Garda Inspectorate report No. 11 in respect to criminal investigations. When there were large numbers going through Templemore at a particular period, the inspectorate was concerned that the arrangements made for supervision for recruits having left Templemore were not adequate and that people did not get the kind of supervision that is necessary. It is important that we keep that in mind in terms of working conditions.

Additional information not given on the floor of the House

In accelerating recruitment it is, of course, essential to ensure that An Garda Síochána has the capacity to train larger numbers without any diminution in the quality of its excellent BA programme in applied policing and to provide appropriate supervision and support to newly qualified gardaí to ensure that victims, and the public generally, are well served by their policing service. My officials are engaging with Garda management as a matter of priority in respect of the preparation of a recruitment plan for the next five years that will deliver increased numbers of gardaí without any compromise on the quality of those recruited or the training programme.

The programme also commits the Government to doubling the Garda Reserve to act in a supportive role, undertaking local patrols and crime reduction measures and to increase further civilianisation to free up gardaí for front-line policing duties. The civilian staff of An Garda Síochána make up approximately 14% of the organisation and fulfil a huge range of critical support roles. Further opportunities to increase the use of suitably qualified civilians and release gardaí to front-line roles will be explored in the context of the ongoing consideration of the report of the Garda Síochána Inspectorate "Changing Policing in Ireland - Delivering a Visible, Accessible and Responsive Service", which makes a range of recommendations on this matter. I expect to bring proposals for the implementation of that report to Government before the summer.

Of course, gardaí must have the modern technology and resources necessary to detect and investigate crimes and to prevent loss and harm to citizens and their property on a 24-7 basis. Some €330 million, including €205 million under the capital plan, is being invested in Garda ICT infrastructure between 2016 and 2021 to enable An Garda Síochána to deploy the latest cutting-edge technologies in the fight against crime.

High-visibility policing requires high-powered vehicles, marked and unmarked patrol cars, and motorcycles. Investment in a modern, effective and fit-for-purpose Garda fleet will continue under the Government's capital plan 2016-2021, which provides €46 million for new Garda vehicles, ensuring that gardaí can be mobile, visible and responsive on the roads and in the community to prevent and tackle crime. This is in addition to the €34 million that has been invested in the fleet since 2012, with more than 720 new vehicles coming on stream since the start of 2015.

Our gardaí should have proper modern accommodation. The Garda station building and refurbishment programme 2016-2021 entails an investment of some €60 million in direct Exchequer funding and a public private partnership. Works under the plan include building of new Garda stations and property exhibit management stores. In addition, the plan provides for redevelopment, refurbishment and upgrading of Garda stations at some 30 locations around the country, including custody management facilities. There will also be cell refurbishment at some 15 Garda stations. These projects are in addition to the investment of some €100 million for the construction of three new state-of-the-art divisional and regional headquarters in Kevin Street, Dublin, Wexford and Galway.

Taken together, this step change in investment in policing demonstrates this Government's commitment to investing in 21st-century policing and will ensure that the gardaí can be mobile, visible and responsive on the roads and in the community to prevent and tackle crime. It will also serve to provide better facilities and ensure a high quality standard of working conditions for members of An Garda Síochána.

The position of whistleblowers in An Garda Síochána is topical. It is important to acknowledge that members of An Garda Síochána may now communicate their concerns to the Garda Commissioner, as their employer, or to GSOC, as a prescribed body, under the provisions of the Protected Disclosures Act 2014 and are entitled to the protections provided by the Act.

In addition, the recently launched modernisation and renewal programme for An Garda Síochána contains a number of initiatives aimed at improving the working environment of members, including, for example, the development and implementation of a new HR strategy, better workforce planning and engagement with members, the development of a continuous training and development strategy, a renewed employee assistance programme and the introduction of a performance management framework.

See this speech in context