Results 31,881-31,900 of 34,832 for speaker:Seán Fleming

Public Accounts Committee: Business of Committee (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: As long as there is no duplication between the two committees.

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: Okay, we will move on. I wish to raise a few other issues on some other allowances. First, is No. 22, the court presenter allowance, payable to the inspector who appears in the District Court? Perhaps I missed this. Second, what is the radio allowance of €5,000, which is paid to 69 people? The Commissioner should tell me what they are. Is the court presenter the person who...

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: Do they receive much legal training or is it simply learned on the hoof?

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: I suspect this allowance, at €100,000, probably offers the best value for money of any allowance I have encountered anywhere. I refer to a scenario in which solicitors presented the cases in the District Court instead of the inspectors so doing. Were several solicitors lined up all day to do the work on behalf of the Garda, the cost would be phenomenal. Consequently, this allowance...

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: Okay. We will move on, as this is moving into the issue of technology. While I note there are some old-fashioned allowances, such as bicycle allowance, boot allowance and so on, I refer to the level of training. Is there an allowance for training? As many gardaí are not children, they cannot be well up on services such as Facebook and Twitter. What level of training is provided...

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: There could be someone in every unit, such as the sergeant in charge in the station. While I do not suggest it should be each individual member, all I am saying is in each major district, there should be someone who is expert at being on top of it.

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: Yes.

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: Okay. My suggestion really was to make use of the social media sites as a source of information for the Garda. People are putting up a phenomenal amount of information on them, which was the reason I suggested this.

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: It was as a source of information for the Garda rather than as a service. However, to move on-----

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: Okay. I will move to the subject of juvenile liaison officers, JLOs. I note the Garda has 118 JLOs, who are paid a modest allowance of €30 per week. Given that JLOs probably deal with teenagers up to the age of 18 or whatever, I note that much crime begins at that age, before people move on to their 20s. I presume that more crimes are committed by younger people than by older...

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: Yes, I know that.

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: That is fine. I simply make the point this constitutes a significant loss to the community.

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: It is not simply a matter of going from a few hours to no hours. Going from 24 hours to far fewer hours also is as great a loss.

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: Finally, in what is a serious discussion on allowances, I often conclude with a lighter point. No. 13, which is the plain-clothes allowance for the poor Garda sergeant is €11.60 per week, which amounts to €603 per year. However, in the case of No. 45, the plain-clothes allowance for the inspector, he or she gets €13.22 per week, which is €687 per year....

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: Moreover, No. 56, which is the plain-clothes allowance for superintendents and chief superintendents, is €14.68 per week or €763 per annum. In other words, they get €160 more per year than does the poor lad who is out chasing the lads at all hours of the night. Why do the higher-ups get paid better money for better clothes when they are wearing plain clothes?

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: Yes. I simply am making the observation. This issue also arose in yesterday's meeting in respect of local authorities, whereby different mileage rates applied depending on one's grade in the local authority, even though one still was driving the same car at the same cost. If a member is paid an allowance for wearing plain clothes, it is small money, but perhaps there should be a similar...

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: Would the Garda computer system know how many individual gardaí used their own cars in the course of the past 12 months? The Commissioner said a request is made so they obviously have to get paid for that.

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: There must be a record. Was it 20 gardaí or 300 gardaí?

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: Would it be reasonable to see if someone has those figures?

Public Accounts Committee: Garda Síochána - Review of Allowances (1 Nov 2012)

Seán Fleming: It is just to give us an indication. The Commissioner said it is the exception, and we all presume it is, but there is a perception that it is happening. Perhaps the public is confusing unmarked cars with the private cars of gardaí. I can understand that but perhaps it is not as exceptional as it used to be. Let us put it that way. Will the Commissioner also comment on the mobile...