Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
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Question 686: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the circumstances under which he attended a conference on special policing in Chester on the weekend of 1 April 2006; the person who accompanied him on the trip; the reason no person from the GRA or AGSI was invited to attend; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14845/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I attended the national conference of the Special Constabulary of England and Wales, which was held on the weekend of 31 March to 2 April. I was invited to attend by Mr. Peter Fahy, Chief Constable of the Cheshire Constabulary, who also holds national responsibility for the promotion and development of the Special Constabulary in England and Wales. He came to Dublin at my invitation on 15 March 2006 to brief me on the detailed operation of the Special Constabulary system. The Deputy might recall that, during his visit here, Chief Constable Fahy gave some media interviews in which he made a very positive contribution to the ongoing public debate on issues associated with the appointment of reserve members of the Garda Síochána, as provided in section 15 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005.

I was accompanied at the conference in Chester by the Secretary General of my Department, officials of my Department, the Garda Commissioner, the Garda Síochána press officer and two senior members of Garda management. It is a pity that no representatives of the GRA or AGSI attended the conference, as I am sure they would not only have been very welcome but would have had the opportunity to hear at first hand the many positive experiences of special constabularies in England and Wales and to learn of their excellent relationships with the regular police forces there. I understand that the president of the GRA did inquire about attending but apparently too late for arrangements to be made.