Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Yes. Under the general legislation that applies to the Garda Síochána, it is open to the Garda Commissioner to communicate to the Minister anything of concern or relevance. To take the very issue the Senator raised, a classic situation that could arise would be where the chief bureau officer is concerned about time delays that are developing in responding to vetting applications as a result of the amount of work the bureau is experiencing at the time and decides the bureau needs more staff. Instead of a request having to go up the line through a chief superintendent, assistant commissioner and deputy commissioner before reaching the Garda Commissioner, no one will be upset or offended if the chief bureau officer either telephones the Commissioner directly or sends some sort of note indicating that the problem may be one the Minister will have to solve.

One must remember that a substantial number of staff in the bureau are civilians. The Garda Síochána is in charge of the bureau and a highly committed member of the force is doing excellent work heading a substantially civilian workforce that has been fully trained in this area. This garda deserves the highest of commendations. As I pointed out, some of the more recent recruitment has come from staff who have been transferred from the Department of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food because they are surplus to requirements. These staff have been fully trained or are undergoing a training process in order that they can work in the vetting bureau.

If, in the context of dealing with matters in the manner I described, there is a need for staff and this requirement is communicated properly to the Garda Commissioner, as would be the case under the legislation, I would expect the Commissioner to communicate rapidly to the Minister the needs in the relevant area in order that he or she can engage with his or her colleagues to ascertain what steps can be taken, namely, whether to authorise the recruitment of civilians from outside the public service in better financial times or when the Government is able to do so or whether, in the context of redeployment, individuals become available who would be interested in working in this area and have the skills to do so or can be trained to acquire such skills. That is the importance of the measure.