Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am pleased to be here. I thank Deputy Feighan for raising the issue. Like him, I recall the contribution of our former colleague and friend Tony McLoughlin on these issues.

I thank Deputy Feighan for engaging with me on this issue over recent weeks and months. As he will appreciate, and as outlined in his contribution, the Garda Commissioner is responsible in law for the management and administration of Garda business, which includes all operational policing decisions. The Commissioner is also responsible for the distribution and stationing of An Garda Síochána throughout the State. As Minister for Justice, I rightly play no role in these independent functions and do not seek to direct or influence the Commissioner in these matters.

I am advised, however, that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review to ensure their optimum use in light of identified operational needs and emerging crime trends. I am informed that community policing resources rose by 50% between 2017 and last month in the Sligo-Leitrim division. I am further advised that the division has benefited from an increase of almost 60% in Garda civilian staff over the period 2015 to February of this year, and this significant rise in civilian resources is undoubtedly a most valuable support to Garda members in the area in recent years. There is, contrary to what one sometimes hears, a very significant upward trend in Garda class size in Templemore. As we continue to see the number of recruits in Templemore rise, I look forward to Sligo benefiting from a greater Garda presence and more Garda resources.

The Garda operating model is being introduced as part of A Policing Service for the Future, which is the implementation plan based on the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. The new model introduces major changes to the structures of An Garda Síochána. The aim is to provide more front-line gardaí, increased Garda visibility and a wider range of policing services for people in their local areas. It will particularly enhance the investigation of crime through the delivery of a greater range of specialised services in local areas, such as the investigation of sexual crime, domestic violence, cybercrime and economic crime. We must not have circumstances in which these are all just national functions; we actually need to make sure these specialist services are also available in local areas, particularly in the important areas outlined.

The operating model is designed to make each division the central unit of policing administration, which contrasts with the current smaller district model, to benefit from greater scale. The main benefits of the model will be the streamlining of administrative processes and a reduction in bureaucracy, which will allow for the release of gardaí from back-office functions to the front line.

The rolling out of the new operating model will result in a reduction in the number of Garda divisions from the current 28 to 19, with each comprising four functional areas, namely, community engagement, crime, performance assurance and business services. Each division will for the first time have a superintendent dedicated to crime, a superintendent dedicated to governance and performance assurance, and a number of superintendents in charge of community engagement. I really want to see us get back to good, old-fashioned community policing, whereby, no matter where you live in Ireland, be it a city, town or village, you know the name, contact number and email address of your community garda and how to get in touch with him or her. That is the real benefit of the new model from a front-line policing point of view.

An Garda Síochána has committed to ensuring superintendents will be in locations throughout a division and not all located in divisional headquarters. An important message for the people of Sligo is that there will be superintendents throughout the division, rather than having them all sit in headquarters.

The headquartering of the armed support unit is also an operational matter for the Commissioner but I am assured there are currently sufficient resources available to the unit.

I suggest to the Deputy, in light of his raising this important matter here this evening and in the knowledge that I am due to visit Sligo shortly with him as part of a significant advance I am making while wearing my other hat regarding St. Angela's College and all the good work being done there, that we visit the Garda station in Sligo, meet the local Garda team and public representatives and see how best we can assure gardaí and indeed the Sligo community of the benefits of the new model and support them with any resources they require.

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