Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Tá an folúntas seo ann ó d’éirigh an sáirsint as in 2019 i mBaile Bhuirne. Bhí réamheolas ag an am sin ag na gardaí toisc go raibh an sáirsint ag druidim le haois faoi leith agus go mbeadh air éirí as. Tuigim go raibh iarrachtaí éagsúla déanta chun duine a fháil don phost ach níor éirigh leo ar feadh i bhfad. Tá roinnt mhaith plé déanta ag an gcomhchoiste póilíneachta, JPC, thar na blianta, mar gheall ar fholúntas Bhaile Bhuirne a líonadh. Aithnítear gur chóir do Ghaeilgeoir a bheith ann. Dar ndóigh, aon uair a bhíonn aon phlé ar an ábhar, feicimid go gcuireann na gardaí Gaeilgeoir chun cinn i gcónaí d’aon fholúntas sa cheantar agus sin mar ba chóir dó a bheith.

Is amhlaidh go raibh comórtas ann an geimhreadh seo caite chun daoine a roghnú mar sháirsintí. Tá painéal curtha le chéile ón gheimhreadh seo caite chun daoine a ainmniú mar sháirsintí. Is amhlaidh gur tosaíodh le ceapacháin in áiteanna éagsúla le linn an earraigh. Dar ndóigh, ní raibh aon duine ceaptha i mBaile Bhuirne. Is stáisiún beag é Baile Bhuirne agus Béal Átha an Ghaorthaidh agus nuair atá duine amháin tógtha as an áireamh ansin, cuireann sé níos mó brú ar an bhfoireann. Ní bhíonn gardaí ar fáil chun freastal ar an bpobal nuair atá duine as triúr in easnamh.

Léiríonn sé chomh maith an dearcadh atá ag na gardaí go bhfuil an dream sin all right agus níl siad ag freastal orthu. Níl sé sin sásúil. Tá an Coimisinéir Teanga tar éis tuairisc a dhéanamh ar an tslí go bhfuil teipthe ar na gardaí freastal ar phobal na Gaelainne. De bharr frustrachais leanúnaigh thar chúpla bliain, tá sé tar éis na tuairisce sin a leagan os comhair an Oireachtais. Is é sin an chéim is airde gur féidir leis an gCoimisinéir Teanga a dhéanamh.

Tháinig Coimisinéir an Gharda Síochána os comhair an choiste Gaelainne chun an t-ábhar sin a phlé. Léirigh sé an deacracht atá ann daoine a fháil le Gaelainn. Ghlac sé leis go raibh fadhb ann agus go rachaidh na gardaí i ngleic leis agus gheall sé go gcuirfidís faoi. Ina ainneoin sin, tá an folúntas i mBaile Bhuirne ag druidim le trí bliana faoin tráth seo agus in ainneoin gur roghnaíodh painéal daoine an geimhreadh seo caite. Tá dul chun cinn déanta ar cheapacháin eile ón earrach in ainneoin an ráitis ón gcoimisinéir go bhfuil muintir na Gaelainne tábhachtach. Tá folúntas leanúnach ann agus tá sé níos glórmhaire ná aon ghealltanas ó údaráis an Gharda nó ó Choimisinéir an Gharda Síochána é féin. Is mithid do na gardaí brú ar aghaidh agus beart a dhéanamh de réir a mbriathair. Is mithid do na gardaí faoin tráth seo sáirsint nua a ainmniú do Bhaile Bhuirne agus brú ar aghaidh leis.

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As he will be aware, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005, as amended, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes responsibility for the deployment of Garda members throughout the State. The Minister for Justice has no role in the matter.

The district of Macroom, which includes Baile Bhuirne station, has a total of 74 serving gardaí stationed over ten stations. The Minister has been assured that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of policing priorities and crime trends in order to ensure their optimal use. The Minister understands it is a matter for the divisional chief superintendent to determine the distribution of duties among the personnel available to them, while having regard to the profile of each area within the division and its specific needs.

The Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs, with an unprecedented allocation provided in budget 2022 of more than €2 billion. The Deputy will be aware that there was a very strong interest in the recent Garda recruitment campaign, with more than 11 ,000 people applying to become a member. The recruitment process is continuing to identify candidates to enter the Garda College over the coming period. I again thank the Deputy for raising the issue. I will bring his view back to the Minister.

Aindrias Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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Ní fheadar cad a déarfaidh mé. Is í an deacracht is mó ná go bhfuil daoine roghnaithe ar an bpainéal. Tá na ceapacháin ullmhaithe le scaoileadh ach arís is arís eile feicimid go bhfuil áiteanna eile á gcur chun tosaigh agus nach bhfuiltear ag freastal ar mhuintir na Gaeltachta. Tá sé seo luaite arís agus arís eile ag an gCoimisinéir Teanga. Glacann Coimisinéir an Gharda Síochána go bhfuil gá leis. Nuair atá painéal ar fáil, ba chóir dóibh brú ar aghaidh agus an folúntas sin a líonadh.

When the panel has been selected and people are ready for appointment, it makes no sense to withhold the appointment when there has been a vacancy of almost three years.

Ba mhór an trua é nach raibh aon tagairt sa fhreagra mar gheall ar riachtanais nó dualgais na ngardaí maidir le freastal ar phobal na Gaelainne agus ba chóir go mbeadh. Is bunábhar é sin. An féidir leis an Aire Stáit tréimhse ama a leagan amach? Will the Minister of State outline a timeline as to when those appointments will be released, as the panel is already in place?

..Dar ndóigh, tá folúntas nua tagtha chun cinn i gceantar Mhaigh Chromtha idir an dá linn agus feicimid go mbeidh brú breise sa cheantar. Gan dabht, beidh an stáisiún i Maigh Chromtha mar cheanncheathrú amach anseo. Má tá aon eolas ag an Aire Stáit ar an gceanncheathrú do Chorcaigh bheinn buíoch. Más féidir aon eolas a thabhairt ar Macroom's new Garda station bheadh sé sin úsáideach chomh maith.

Frank Feighan (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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The Minister would like to thank the Deputy for raising this issue and to reassure the public An Garda Síochána remains committed to the Irish language. Studies in the Irish language remain part of the policing BA delivered to all trainee gardaí at the Garda College, Templemore.

A new Irish language strategy has been developed by An Garda Síochána and will be launched early in 2022. The strategy aims to strengthen the Irish language services within the organisation and ensure compliance with the statutory language obligations.

The Minister has been informed by An Garda Síochána that a directive issued in 2018 to ensure only members with the appropriate Irish language skills would transfer to Gaeltacht stations, with a view to increasing the number of bilingual personnel in these stations. An Irish language proficiency panel has also been established under the same directive and includes members recruited through the Irish language stream as well as members who wish to be transferred to Gaeltacht stations, provided they have obtained the requisite result in the Irish oral assessment. One of the Irish language strategy goals is to increase the number of members on the Irish language proficiency panel by establishing a working group to examine incentives for members to request a transfer to Gaeltacht stations.

The Deputy raised the issue of a timeline and two to three years seems quite a long time to wait for that appointment. I will bring his concerns and views back to the Minister and see can we get a definite answer on a timeline. I again thank him for raising this very important issue.