Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I am grateful of the opportunity to raise this matter in the hope of advancing a long outstanding matter to conclusion by the end of this year. The lives of emergency services personnel are being put at risk because of the failure on the part of the Government to advance and progress the provision of a national digital radio service.

I wish, in particular, to refer to the position as it relates to the Garda Síochána. It is more than ten years since the Garda first requested a new radio communications network because its members could not communicate safely via the old network, which was then already 20 years old. On 4 February 1999, the then Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, and current Ceann Comhairle, Deputy O'Donoghue, in reply to parliamentary questions tabled for written answer stated:

The new Garda radio network will be introduced on a phased basis over the period 2000 to 2003, at an estimated cost of £75 million to £85 million. To facilitate this ambitious replacement programme, a pilot trial of the new TETRA technology will commence this year, and the lessons learned will be usefully applied in the national replacement programme.

In 2005, his successor, former Deputy Michael McDowell, was asked when the long-promised digital radio system would arrive following a Deputy's description of how one of his constituents was burned out of his house when drug dealers listening in on the Garda analogue network heard his address being given as the source of a complaint about their suspicious activity. Very little action was taken in the aftermath of these events and further pilot projects were promised.

On 26 March 2007, Mr. McDowell, who was then Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, announced:

Tetra Ireland Ltd have been selected as the preferred bidder for the provision of the National Digital Radio Service and are currently working with An Garda Síochána and other Departments and Agencies on the rollout of the service which will be delivered in two phases:

A service performance evaluation in an area covering parts of Dublin including the Port and Airport and north into Co. Meath.

Nationwide rollout.

The emergency services have been seeking the provision of a digital radio system for many years. The old analogue system is neither secure nor reliable. However, the Tetra system has still not been rolled out nationally despite the promises made by the two previous holders of the office of Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform.

The deficiencies of the existing analogue system are well known. Communications can be intercepted, with dangerous consequences for personnel. The radios do not always work, which has already endangered the lives of gardaí and other emergency services staff. No fewer than two pilot programmes have been rolled out in the same area of Dublin, and using the same technology, in 2001 and 2007. However, the Department of Finance has seemingly refused to progress a contract for the nationwide expansion and development of the system.

Failure to supply the Garda with up-to-date technology is tantamount to expecting it to take on sophisticated criminals with one hand tied behind its back. The absence of modern technology for the force has been highlighted by the Garda inspectorate, which expressed its concern in respect of the current situation. Regardless of whether it is cars, mobile telephones, e-mail or broadband, it is unacceptable that this matter has not been dealt with in an adequate fashion. It is also not acceptable that the project to provide a national digital radio system is to disintegrate into another billion euro over-budget fiasco at the hands of the Government, which is famous for its inability to deliver projects within budget and on time.

A spark of light appeared at the end of the tunnel during the speech on the Estimates by the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Deputy Brian Lenihan, who stated that progress will be made and that he has made a sum of money available to resolve this matter. I would like the Minister opposite to indicate the exact amount of money available and what has been approved. There should be no more pilot schemes. When will the Garda be provided with the new national digital radio system?

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I thank the Deputy for raising this matter.

The Government is committed to ensure that the Garda Commissioner has the necessary resources available to him in his fight against crime. In addition to increasing the strength of the force, this includes the resources to provide a range of support services. Chief among the latter is the provision of a new digital radio service for the force. Almost €100 million has been provided for Garda technology related projects this year alone and this includes significant financial provision for the new radio service.

Significant progress has been already made in the planning for the provision of the national digital radio service for An Garda Síochána. The Department of Finance has selected a preferred bidder — Tetra Ireland — for the service and is currently conducting detailed contract negotiations with the company. I am advised that these negotiations are nearing completion, enabling a framework agreement to be put in place in the coming weeks.

In tandem, detailed planning and preparatory work by the Garda Síochána is ongoing. This includes participation in a service performance evaluation, whereby a live working system covering a significant geographical area in the Dublin and surrounding areas was put in place by Tetra Ireland and was tested by the Garda and other emergency services to ensure the company was capable of delivering a fully working solution meeting all of the requirements of an emergency services network. National roll out by Tetra Ireland will commence immediately after the framework agreement is signed and is expected to be fully completed within a two-year timeframe.

The provision of the digital radio service will provide a number of advantages for An Garda Síochána. There will be increased security of digital radio services because digital radio transmissions are secured against eavesdropping and interception, which is a major concern with analogue radio systems. There also will be increased protection for Garda officers on operational duty. For example, digital radios come equipped with emergency "single push" buttons, which will transmit an emergency signal to the user group and to the dispatcher in the event of an emergency. An Garda Síochána will have the facility to dispatch assistance immediately to the relevant location.

Another advantage will be improved voice quality and increased radio coverage. The new digital radio service will offer An Garda Síochána a minimum of 96% hand-held radio coverage in any one square kilometre of the country, with most areas having more than 99% coverage. The new digital radio service will also provide An Garda Síochána with the ability to allow person-to-person or group communication between locations nationwide, as well as providing coverage for air support and off shore operations.

Communication with other emergency services will be improved so that, for emergencies and other operational reasons, a member of An Garda Síochána can be in direct communications with his or her counterparts in the other emergency services. Additional services such as communications with mobile and land line telephone systems and data services such as the transmission to officers in the field of photographs of wanted or missing persons will also be provided. The final advantage is that there will be interoperability with other police forces, such as with the digital radio system used by the Police Service of Northern Ireland, PSNI, as provided for under the intergovernmental agreement on North-South police co-operation.

The Government has consistently given its commitment that An Garda Síochána will receive every support to assist it in its fight against crime. The Garda budget across all areas for 2008 is more than €1.6 billion, which represents an 11% increase on the 2007 allocation. This will enable the early implementation of the national digital radio service, as well as a broad range of other technology projects being introduced by An Garda Síochána.