Dan Boyle (Cork South Central, Green Party)
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Question 23: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the 24 hours' training in the law and the Garda Síochána procedures are adequate for his proposed Garda reserve force in view of the fact that members of the reserve force will have the right to arrest for offences such as obstruction and public order offences; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3574/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 46: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his proposals for a part-time Garda force; the form and length of training they are to receive; their likely duties, if alone or accompanied in any or all occasions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3536/06]

Paudge Connolly (Cavan-Monaghan, Independent)
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Question 47: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his proposals to proceed with his plans for a voluntary Garda reserve corps in view of Garda representative bodies reservations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3378/06]

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 52: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the liability which pertains to the State if any member of the volunteer Garda force exceeds his or her authority while on duty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3555/06]

Joe Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
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Question 66: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when he proposes to implement the volunteer Garda provision in the Garda Síochána Act 2006; the proposals he has received from the Garda Síochána on the subject; when he expects to have the regulations in place; the number of volunteer gardaí he expects to recruit in total and the number in 2006; if he will implement the provision against the wishes of the Garda representative bodies; if he will establish a pilot scheme to examine and assess the effectiveness of a volunteer force; if he will review the proposal to confer full powers of arrest on the volunteer gardaí; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3509/06]

Liz McManus (Wicklow, Labour)
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Question 69: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress which has been made in recruiting a volunteer Garda reserve force; and if the Garda representative bodies have been consulted on the proposal. [3493/06]

Eamon Ryan (Dublin South, Green Party)
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Question 70: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the measures he intends to take to assure the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors and the Garda Representative Association that his proposals for a reserve Garda force will not destroy morale within the full-time force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3575/06]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 184: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the way in which he proposes to integrate his proposed Garda reserve force with the existing force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3761/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 23, 46, 47, 52, 66, 69, 70 and 184 together.

Section 15 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 provides for the establishment of a Garda reserve and the Deputies will recall that the measure won widespread support in the House during the passage of the Act.

The Act lays special emphasis on training for members of the Garda reserve. The Act provides that the power to appoint persons to the reserve may only be exercised if the Commissioner has submitted proposals to the Minister for Justice for the training of persons to be appointed and regulations have been made concerning their recruitment, training and terms and conditions. It also provides that a person may not be appointed to the reserve unless he or she has completed the prescribed training. It is also the case that the Garda Commissioner may determine the range of powers to be exercised and duties performed by reserve members. A reserve member will be bound by all the same legal, disciplinary and ethical obligations as a regular member.

In July 2005, the month the Garda Síochána Act was enacted, the Garda Commissioner wrote to me proposing a Garda reserve with a strength of 4,000 members. By way of response, and in the context of advising the Garda Commissioner of the Government's policing priorities for 2006, I set the objective of recruiting 900 reserve members by September of this year.

I understand the Commissioner is now finalising his proposals for the reserve, including specifically the training of members and their powers and duties, and I am sure that in doing this he will have looked to the successful experience of volunteer police in the UK and other jurisdictions. I will give careful consideration to the Commissioner's proposals when I receive them, which I expect will be very shortly, and I will then draw up the necessary regulations for the approval of Government under the Act. As part of that process I will fully consult with the Garda representative associations.

The Garda reserve will be a supplementary support and, emphatically, not a replacement for gardaí. Proof of this is the current increase in the strength of the force from 12,000 to 14,000 members. This programme is well under way and will lead to a combined strength, of both attested gardaí and recruits in training, of 14,000 by the end of this year. The Garda budget is also at an all time high. This year's allocation of €1.29 billion represents an increase of 13% on the allocation for 2005. It includes provision of over €83.5 million for overtime, an increase of €23 million on last year's allocation, which will yield over 2.7 million hours of Garda overtime for frontline policing throughout the State.

The Garda reserve will be a valuable additional support for the Garda Síochána. It will enhance its capacity to respond to emerging policing challenges and will reinforce its links with local communities. At a time when gardaí increasingly do not live in the areas they police, the Garda reserve will be a valuable source of local strength and knowledge. It has the support of the Oireachtas and, I believe, the support of the public. I look forward to the Garda Commissioner's proposals on the recruitment, training, powers and duties of the members of the reserve. I have undertaken to consult constructively with the Garda representative associations on the proposals and I will be asking them, for their part, to undertake to respect the clear will of the Oireachtas in this matter and engage positively in those consultations.