Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Deputy Ó Caoláin will appreciate that the deployment of Garda resources, including personnel, and the deployment of specialist units such as the emergency response unit, ERU, are solely the responsibility of the Garda Commissioner and his management team. The emergency response unit is a highly-trained and well-equipped special intervention capability that is supported by a number of regional armed support units and a range of other resources across the Garda organisation.

I am advised that the detail of the number of gardaí and resources allocated to the ERU is deemed to be operationally sensitive and cannot be disclosed for security reasons but I can say that the Garda Commissioner has established an armed support unit, ASU, in each of the six Garda regions to provide an armed response capacity and capability to support and supplement the national emergency response unit. As the Deputy will understand, it is generally not the practice nor would it be prudent to disclose the detail of the security arrangements in place for the deployment of the ERU. To do so would plainly provide an advantage to those with ill intent and, of course, Ireland still faces many threats, chief among them the threat from dissident republicans.

The Garda Commissioner established the special tactics and operations command, STOC, in August 2017 following a number of recommendations in the November 2015 Garda Síochána Inspectorate report, "Changing Policing in Ireland". The objective of the STOC is to make policing safer by providing specialist firearms and less lethal services, including for spontaneous incidents such as emergency 999 calls and for pre-planned operations. The STOC has a number of specialist teams under its command including the ERU, the national negotiator and, within Dublin, the armed support unit. The STOC also has a governance role for the ASUs located outside Dublin as these are managed locally as regional resources.

The Garda Commissioner has provided the following information. On 26 March 2019, an incident occurred in Monaghan in which an individual was injured and was subsequently brought to hospital where the person received treatment. The matter was then referred to the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission, GSOC, by An Garda Síochána in accordance with section 102 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005. The Deputy will appreciate that given the independent role of the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission in investigating the incidents referred to it, it would be inappropriate for me to comment any further at this time.

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