Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The common theme in all of this programme of reform is a greater level of community engagement and a more responsive and localised policing service. The model reorganises resources around the delivery of front-line policing. That will involve the level of investment in ICT that I mentioned earlier. We are coming from a pretty low level in An Garda Síochána. The Garda service was constricted and constrained during the financial crisis of some years ago but we are now rebuilding through investment and greater recruitment. Side by side with that, we have the programme of reform which will result in a greater level of community engagement, including a dedicated superintendent specifically engaged in community relations tasks. The bottom line will be more gardaí on the front line, more sergeants and inspectors and more streamlined administrative structures for An Garda Síochána. All of this is predicated on the need to continue with the type of investment we are seeing in the Garda fleet and infrastructure, for example, the hand-held devices that are being rolled out to aid with road traffic policing. Every division will have a Garda inspector available 24-7 which is not the case currently. There will be more available expertise in specific, new types of crime, including cybercrime and other fraudulent activity, which will meet the needs of communities.

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