Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 90: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of gardaí currently assigned to community policing; if he will confirm that this represents less than 4% of the overall strength of the force; if he has plans to increase the number of community gardaí; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8981/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The latest available figures show that there are 630 members of the Garda Síochána assigned to community policing, compared to a total attested strength of 13,755. This represents 4.58% of the total strength of the force. As with any large organisation, these figures can fluctuate from day to day, for example, due to promotions, retirements and transfers.

While this is the number of gardaí specifically assigned to community policing, all gardaí have a role to play in addressing community policing issues. In that sense, community policing involves far more than a single unit within the Garda Síochána and I agree with the view of the Garda inspectorate, expressed in its most recent report, that community policing is a fundamental policing philosophy and that there is a strong foundation for it in Ireland.

It is the responsibility of the Garda Commissioner to decide on the prioritisation and allocation of resources within the force. Against this background, he is reviewing arrangements within the Garda Síochána for community policing. I welcome this and I look forward to its outcome and to hearing what the Commissioner proposes for the future development of community policing.

Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Is it not the case that when the Minister says every garda is a community garda we are engaged in a dialogue of the deaf? That is not what community policing means. It is not what the inspectorate meant when it commented on the desirability of community policing. It is to do with the visible presence of gardaí patrolling, talking to people they know and living in the community. That is not happening. That the Minister can say that 4.5% of the manpower is allocated to community policing suggests that there is no commitment to the philosophy of community policing to which the Minister pays lip service.

There is no special tangible arrangement for a grade of community garda and no evidence that residents in communities that suffer from anti-social behaviour and other kinds of low level crime — nonetheless injurious for that — are able to access a garda when they need one. The time has come for a complete reorganisation and reorientation so that there is an adequate number of gardaí on bikes or foot patrol, getting to know the people and their problems in a community. A community garda will be the first to be called off his or her usual duty and reassigned to something else.

Where community policing works it is an almost unmitigated success, according to the people, the residents' associations and the gardaí, but the Minister cannot get away with the semantic proposition that every garda is a community garda. Is the lack of success of the civilianisation programme in which hundreds of gardaí are behind desks community policing because they interface with the public? Are gardaí dealing with traffic offences or those in the serious crime unit community gardaí because they interface with some members of the public? There is no commitment in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform to true community policing, as expressed in many international documents and as supported by the Garda inspectorate here.

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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There are gardaí in specialist units, whether involved in security, serious crime, national immigration bureau or plain clothes work, who are not publically visible. The gardaí who are visible are not restricted to the category of community policeman. It is not the case that only gardaí on patrol or on bicycles are community policemen. The presence of gardaí in the community is not solely or exclusively dependent on community policemen. That is an incontestable fact.

I do not wish to have a "dialogue of the deaf" but I do wish to point out that community police perform an extremely valuable role in accessing local intelligence and liaising with local residents, but many of these problems are well identified and require a stronger and more vigorous Garda presence so they can be tackled than a solitary community policeman. They also require the deployment of far more substantial resources than a community policeman.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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It seems from the Minister's successive replies on this issue that his concept of the community garda is somewhat less than international best practice would advise. In the circumstances there is no great change in what we are looking at, other than a label. To my mind, that is wholly insufficient to meet the needs of modern communities. The Minister adverted earlier to the fact that one of the major impediments to community policing — adding to the type of anti-social behaviour which is rampant throughout the country — is the widespread availability of alcohol. The link between anti-social behaviour in communities and alcohol deserves urgent consideration on the part of the Minister. Notwithstanding the ministerial reviews he has announced, will the Minister confirm to the House that the current review and forthcoming report will be treated more seriously by him and his Department than its predecessors under the chairmanship of Dr. Holmes? I invite the Minister to——

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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I am trying to facilitate two more Deputies.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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——commit to the House to take steps to restrict the number of outlets. In 2007, we saw 637 new off-licences.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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We have strayed beyond the terms of this question.

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The previous year there were 547 new off-licences. No wonder we have a problem in communities, and a situation whereby crime and drink are causing major concern.

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I agree with Deputy Charles Flanagan. I have not instituted any reviews, plural. I have instituted a review and it is short and focused. It ends at the end of this month and——

Tom Hayes (Tipperary South, Fine Gael)
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That will be the most unusual review ever.

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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——it will eventuate in legislation which will address this problem. I am anxious to get that legislation through the House before the summer and I hope I can receive the co-operation of the different parties in the House. We are not going to be able to deal with all the problems in a short Bill to be enacted before the summer, but we can at least begin to address the problem. I am not convinced the problem, given its scale, can be tackled by one Bill put through the House before the summer.

As regards the previous work——

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Is the Minister dampening expectations? That is not what he said at Christmas.

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I am not, and I am very open to any proposals the Opposition may wish to bring forward as well. However, as regards Dr. Holmes's previous studies, on my appointment as Minister he contacted me and expressed specific concern that in his earlier work the terms of reference did not permit him to address the issue of the harmful effects of alcohol in the context of any review of legislation. One thing is very clear and that is——

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Minister is straying from the terms of the question.

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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——that further extensions in the opening hours for licensed premises or the establishment of café bar type arrangements would be quite disastrous in this context.

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The question is on community policing. I wanted to bring in Deputies Aengus Ó Snodaigh and Andrew Doyle very briefly.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I met a chief superintendent recently and he said that——

Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour)
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The Deputy should please ask his question.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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——the number of gardaí dealing with traffic is ringfenced. Would the Minister consider ringfencing the number of gardaí on community policing, given the value he placed on this initiative in his contribution earlier? The number should be ringfenced and encouragement given towards preventing the high turnover in community police.

Andrew Doyle (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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It goes without saying that all gardaí have responsibility towards the communities they service. The vision I have of a community policeman is someone who is highly visible, and uses the media almost the same way that politicians do, so that he or she is known right throughout the town or district concerned. He or she must be seen in many clubs, handing out prizes. Instead of being reactors, they should be preventers of crime taking place and work with the social services much of the time. Does the Minister intend to provide any guidance to the Garda as regards a specific definition of community policing? It is loose at the moment. To say that all gardaí are community police is diluting the term, which needs to be more focused.

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I agree with Deputy Doyle and that is why the Commissioner is undertaking this review — to arrive at a more precise definition of the responsibilities of the community policeman.

As regards Deputy Ó Snodaigh's point concerning the ringfencing of traffic gardaí, many countries have a separate traffic corps. In this jurisdiction, my predecessor maintained — I agree with him — that it is valuable to have the traffic corps as a direct part of the Garda Síochána. It requires a separate dedicated assignment of personnel, however. It is not desirable in other matters to have too rigid a division between community policemen and gardaí in local stations. All of them exist to serve the community in the prevention, investigation and detection of crime.

Pat Breen (Clare, Fine Gael)
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Question 91: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of members of An Garda Síochána trained to use firearms; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9063/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that, as of 28 February 2008, there are 3,377 members of the Garda Síochána who are competent in the use of firearms and who are authorised firearms card holders. This includes members of specialist units such as the special detective unit as well as a percentage of uniformed gardaí. A Garda working group on firearms training recommended that not more than 10% of the uniformed divisional strength, in addition to the detective branch, should be authorised or trained in firearms. This enables high standards of training to be focused first and foremost on those members attached to units which are engaged in the investigation of serious crime and who are available when required.

An Garda Síochána has just taken delivery of a dedicated firearms training range at the Garda College, Templemore. This is an indoor four-lane modular live fire range. A second similar indoor four-lane modular live fire range is being installed in Dublin and it is envisaged this range will be operational by April 2008. These prefabricated modular firearms ranges are newly designed products and will facilitate live fire shooting for up to four persons in a carefully contained environment which adheres to all range safety requirements.

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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In April 2007, Chief Inspector Kathleen O'Toole said she was frightened at the resources available to members of the Garda Síochána, in terms of firearms and protective clothing. Has that situation improved? She gave a particular incident to which gardaí were called where a person was using a serious weapon outside his own house. In the event, the gardaí turned up with just a Smith and Wesson revolver to deal with the situation.

Will the Minister assure the House that firearms and bullet-proof vests available to the Garda Síochána are of an approved standard? Is he satisfied that sufficient numbers of gardaí are competent in using firearms?

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The fundamental question asked by the Deputy related to training. I have outlined in my answer the new initiatives which have been taken to ensure training in the use of firearms is first-class. I have looked at the facilities available in Templemore and I am satisfied they are of the highest standard and will ensure that the continuous training which the Garda Síochána requires in this area will be provided. That is a major improvement on the position commented on by the chief inspector. As regards the particular weapons that may be used by the Garda Síochána, that is an operational matter for the Commissioner. I will be guided by him as regards what is required to ensure the force is effective.

As regards the arrangements made to provide protective body armour, at present two types are in use by the Garda Síochána. All detectives are issued with protective vests that have bullet and stab-proof properties. Uniformed personnel are issued with protection vests, which incorporate bullet and stab-proof properties.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I welcome the Minister's statement that the facilities have been upgraded. Is the Minister confident there are sufficient trainers available as well as the equipment and ammunition for members of the Garda Síochána to train in firearms use? Has the Commissioner brought to the Minister's attention the desire for additional weaponry for the Garda Síochána and what steps are being taken to ensure gardaí, as appropriate, have proper training in all the weapons currently issued to the force?

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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As I indicated in my reply, I am satisfied with the training arrangements as regards the use of firearms. On the supply of further weaponry, I will be guided by any requests made by the Commissioner in that regard.

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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I asked whether the Commissioner made any requests.

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Not to my knowledge.

Joe Carey (Clare, Fine Gael)
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The firing range at Garda headquarters was closed down in 2005, after which the Garda had to rent one. Is the Minister confident that the standard of training has been maintained since 2005 given that he has revealed that a specialist training range has only just been delivered?

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I am confident that every effort was made in the interim to maintain a high standard. The new provision in Templemore is of an excellent standard and similar provision will be available in Dublin from April of this year.