Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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30. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if detectives from the Cork city Garda division will be issued with non-lethal Tasers as part of their equipment; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32839/17]

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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My question relates to detectives in Cork city Garda division who wish to be issued with non-lethal Tasers. There is currently a dispute between Garda management and the GRA, as representatives of the detectives, on this very serious issue. I hope the Minister can liaise with Garda management and help to resolve the issue.

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will appreciate that the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the deployment of equipment, including less-lethal weapons, to members of An Garda Síochána and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter.

I am, however, informed by the Garda authorities that the item of equipment referred to by the Deputy, the Taser, is only issued to members of the emergency response unit and armed support units, which are deployed regionally including in the Cork city division. Arrangements are currently in place with detective personnel to ensure the capacity and capability for An Garda Síochána to respond to an armed or critical incident in Cork city and its environs on a 24-7 basis.

The Deputy will be aware that armed support units were established to provide an armed response capacity and capability on a regional basis to support and supplement the national emergency response unit. Members of the units are highly trained and equipped with a variety of non-lethal and lethal weapons and perform high-visibility armed checkpoints and patrols throughout their respective regions.

As the Deputy will be aware an armed support unit has been established in the southern region, based in both Cork and Limerick, since 2008. Therefore, non-lethal capability and capacity by An Garda Síochána in the southern region, and in Cork city, is provided for by the regional armed support unit.

In the event of an armed incident or similar incident, armed detectives from local district and divisional units will respond, as will the armed support units, which are based in each Garda region, including Cork city.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I thank the Minister for his reply. As he knows, the regional armed support unit does not operate on a 24-7 basis in Cork city. If an incident occurred, gardaí and detectives might have to wait for members of the armed support unit to travel from Limerick, up to an hour and a half away. If a guy is going crazy with a knife or a crowbar, that is not much good to the front-line gardaí and detectives who are trying to deal with that situation.

They are telling me that last year's tactical awareness training really brought home to detectives how exposed they are without non-lethal Tasers. If they have to deal with an incident in the absence of the regional armed support unit, they will be forced to deploy their gun. As the Minister knows, the guidelines are that if a gun is to be used, it is to be used in close proximity to the upper body which will generally result in death, which is not a position they want to be in. They have strongly called on Garda management to provide non-lethal Tasers to assist them in their front-line work.

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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If the Deputy asks me if Tasers are available to gardaí in Cork, the answer to that question is "Yes". I am informed by the Garda authorities that equipment referred to by the Deputy, the Taser, is only issued to members of the emergency response unit and armed support units, which are deployed regionally including in the Cork city division. In response to the Deputy's supplementary question, arrangements are currently in place with detective personnel to ensure the capacity and capability for An Garda Síochána to respond appropriately to an armed or critical incident in Cork city and its environs on a 24-7 basis.

The Deputy will be aware that an armed support unit was established in the southern region, which is based in Cork as well as in Limerick. In the event of an armed incident or similar incident, armed detectives from local district will respond, as will the armed support units, which are based in each Garda region.

Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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I appreciate it is an operational matter and the Minister cannot be expected to be aware of all of the detail. However, I have been informed that members of the ERU or the armed support units, which are organised on a regional basis, will not necessarily be available within Cork city if an incident were to occur. The detectives who have undergone training feel very exposed and at risk. They feel they are not being given the capacity to neutralise a threat that they may be the first people to have to confront. That is the situation on the ground.

There is a dispute between the GRA, representing the detectives and Garda management. It needs to be resolved first and foremost to protect the welfare of the front-line gardaí and detectives to ensure no unnecessary harm is caused to members of the public or indeed to the perpetrator, who certainly would not deserve a gun being deployed in an incident that could properly be dealt with through the use of a non-lethal Taser. I ask the Minister to follow up.

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will appreciate, since he has drawn my attention to the subject matter of a dispute between Garda management and a representative association, it would be unwise and unhelpful for me to comment on this issue either way.

I assure the Deputy that members of the armed response units are highly trained and equipped with a variety of non-lethal and lethal weapons and perform an outstanding service, including high-visibility armed checkpoints and patrols throughout the southern region. In order to ensure and maintain the capability and capacity of these armed support units, a competition to select, train and allocate additional personnel for the regional armed response units recently commenced. I assure the Deputy that every effort will be made to reach a form of accommodation on the point as raised.