Tom Parlon (Laois-Offaly, Progressive Democrats)

The amendment would provide that the establishment of each joint investigation team should be costed prior to establishment. As was explained on Second Stage, one of the guiding principles for the Garda Síochána, as indicated in the Garda corporate strategy for 2000 to 2004, is to ensure the Garda carries out its functions in a way that obtains the best value from Garda activities. The Garda policing plan for 2003 lists 12 strategic goals, one of which is managing finance to achieve best value for money. The performance indicators in the plan for this strategic goal include: compliance with budget allocation and costing of major functional policing areas, including law enforcement in the areas of drugs, traffic and other crime. This goal is intended to ensure resources are properly managed and effectively used.

With regard to certain drugs operations, which can involve the deployment of personnel and resources from different Garda divisions, as a matter of good management practice, it is not unusual, as the Senator indicated on Second Stage, that they be costed in advance to determine where costs fall and to ensure such resources are used effectively. I am, however, informed by the Garda authorities that sanctioning operations that involve major seizures or arrests are not dependent on such costing. However, it is considered to be good management practice for the reasons illustrated.

As the Minister of State, Deputy O'Dea, pointed out on Committee Stage, the deployment of gardaí and the assignment of tasks to them are matters for the Garda Commissioner. Gardaí constitute a scarce resource which the Commissioner must employ to maximum effect. Any reasonable and responsible Commissioner would not commit to the establishment of a joint investigation team if it was not appropriate to do so and he did not have the necessary resources available to him at the time. The Commissioner will be answerable in terms of the strategic goal in the Garda policing plan concerning managing finance to achieve best value for money.