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

During 2017 it is anticipated that there will be a redeployment of 147 Garda members as a result of increases in civilian numbers. That equates to some 30% of the 500 civilian appointments approved for the year, leading to redeployments. The process will accelerate in future years. I fully agree with Deputy O'Callaghan that we must ensure that where civilians can do the work within An Garda Síochána we must do everything possible to make sure that happens. I accept that, as Deputy O'Callaghan indicated, we are below the international levels in regard to civilianisation. We have gardaí doing jobs that could clearly be done by civilians, but the process must be managed in a careful and planned way. Some forces have advanced civilianisation in a rapid way and I have heard from them that one must be careful about identifying the particular posts.

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