Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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4. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the action she will take further to the recent Garda Síochána Inspectorate's report on policing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [3203/16]

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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What further action does the Minister propose to take in light of the recent report of the Garda Síochána Inspectorate? The Minister will be aware that members of the inspectorate recently appeared before the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality. It is fair to say that they were hugely frustrated yet very professional and charitable in their language and presentation on the lack of implementation of many of the key recommendations in their report. Perhaps the Minister would address that point.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will have heard my earlier response on this issue, I do not propose to repeat what has been already implemented. In regard to investment in An Garda Síochána, including new supports for information and communications technology, which, as the Deputy rightly said, are long-standing problems, owing to the change in our economic circumstances, we are now in a position to invest and support the developments that are needed. Reform is needed in certain aspects, as outlined in the report. I believe there is a need for ongoing monitoring in this area. The Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality has an important role to play in this regard.

As I said earlier, the police authority will be very cognisant of these reports and I have no doubt they will be a priority in terms of analysing how the recommendations and change programme is being managed. Changing an organisation as large as An Garda Síochána requires action on the part of many different players. However, it is primarily the responsibility of management within An Garda Síochána to respond to these reports. I believe this is being done. It is a broad-ranging task. The Garda Commissioner will publish her report and no doubt that will be considered by future justice committees. I have put in place a process through which the views are being sought of the Garda Commissioner and of other bodies to whom recommendations are directed relating to the most recent report. The timeframe for conclusion of this process is three months. That consultation process will be completed in March. I believe it will provide further guidelines to the Department of Justice and Equality and the Dáil committees in the monitoring and implementation of recommendations.

I agree that the inspectorate has done very wide-ranging work. It is now time for focus on implementation.

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Those who attended the meeting of the Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality and heard the presentation by the inspectorate got the sense that management of An Garda Síochána is resistant to change. I would welcome a comment by the Minister on this point.

Has the Minister specifically spoken to or had a meeting with the Garda Commissioner on the inspectorate's most recent report? Following on from that and the Minister's recent appointment of the new board of the police authority, has the Minister formally met the new board and has it agreed a programme of work? What was its reaction to the inspectorate's report?

The Minister will be aware that community garda numbers form a huge issue and that many areas do not have dedicated community gardaí because such gardaí have been sucked into other policing activities by virtue of demand and reduced Garda numbers owing to the recruitment moratorium over many years. One of the recommendations of the recent report is that 1,500 gardaí be relieved of administrative duty. How realistic is that recommendation? People are saying to me that that target is not realistic because particular administrative duties, such as the taking of sworn evidence, can only be undertaken by gardaí.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I will try to respond to all of the Deputy's questions. First, I have had discussions with the Garda Commissioner on the most recent report. I also arranged for the Garda Commissioner, the chairperson of the police authority and members of the Garda Inspectorate to appear before the Cabinet sub-committee on justice three weeks ago for a frank and detailed discussion on the recommendations with members of that committee, including the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Howlin, and other Ministers. During that meeting we discussed implementation of the recommendations of the report, in respect of which we heard the views of the key players. It was a very useful exercise, which shows the importance of having a Cabinet sub-committee on justice, which we now have for the first time.

Second, on the police authority, the Deputy will be aware - there has been some misreporting in this regard - that members of the board of the police authority were selected through the Public Appointments Service and recommendations were made to Government. The selection process was in the first instance carried out by the Public Appointments Service.

I will meet the police authority this week and it will hold its first meeting on Friday. I will be interested to hear from the Garda Commissioner whether she agrees with the figure of 1,500 gardaí. I already heard her make some comments on it that would suggest she would like to respond on whether there are, effectively, 1,500 gardaí who could be freed up at this moment.

Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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Will the Minister confirm whether the first meeting of the police authority next Friday will be in public or private? Will she also comment on resistance to change from the management of An Garda Síochána?

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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Any decisions about when the authority holds public meetings will be in the first instance a matter for Josephine Feehily, who is the chair of the police authority. I have no doubt there will be a public element to the meeting on Friday in terms of communicating with the public about the work. The work programme is entirely a matter for the authority.

In regard to resistance to change, it can be difficult for any large organisation when change is discussed. Resistance is a very strong word to use and it is often thrown about in regard to An Garda Síochána. My experience of meeting members of An Garda Síochána throughout the country is that they are very pleased to get the extra resources they have and for there to be recruitment taking place in order that they can respond to the crime issues of the day. They will welcome many of the changes that are being recommended if they help them to do their job more effectively.