Eamon Gilmore (Dún Laoghaire, Labour)
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Question 48: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the report of the Garda Inspectorate on the study it carried out into the findings of the Barr Report on the shooting of Mr. John Carty; if the recommendations made in the report will be implemented; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12908/07]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I welcome the Garda Síochána Inspectorate Review of Garda Síochána Practices and Procedures for Barricade Incidents. The review makes a significant contribution towards the enhancement of the capacity of the Garda Síochána to manage barricade incidents. In particular, it affords an opportunity to learn from the experience of the shooting at Abbeylara so that such deaths can, to the extent humanly possible, be avoided in the future.

The Garda Commissioner has also welcomed the report, and has already established an implementation group, headed by an Assistant Commissioner, to oversee the implementation of the recommendations.

The report acknowledges that considerable progress has been made by An Garda Síochána since the Abbeylara incident in 2000. Indeed, significant developments are currently under way on key issues in the report. In relation to digital radio, for example, implementation of the new digital radio service has already commenced and the preferred bidder is now installing the service in a large area in North Dublin to demonstrate the performance of the system. Over 2,500 protective vests, providing ballistic and anti-stab protection, have been issued to Gardaí in recent months. Distribution is continuing and every Garda will have this protection by the middle of this year. On tactical firearms training, 250 acres of land have been purchased near the Garda College at Templemore for this and other training purposes. A firing range will also be built as part of the new Forensic Science Laboratory at Garda Headquarters.

In the past week I secured Department of Finance sanction for the Commissioner to advertise for state-of-the-art modular live firing ranges that can be delivered within months. I understand that the Commissioner is drawing up urgent plans for a firing range at the major site recently acquired near Templemore for the new Garda centre of excellence.

The Garda Inspectorate recommended that a second tier response capability should be established for rapid deployment to critical incidents in regional areas pending the arrival and full deployment of the ERU. In this respect the Commissioner had already moved to form Regional Primary Response Teams for this purpose in each of the regions outside Dublin. These teams will be drawn from the existing Regional Public Order Units and the Gardaí involved will receive additional relevant training to fulfil this role.

With regard to the Inspectorate's recommendations on less lethal weapons, I have authorised the Commissioner to add Conductive Electric Devices (sometimes referred to as the brand name 'TASER') to the less lethal weapons already available to the ERU for use where necessary to avoid the use of firearms. I have also authorised the availability to the new Regional Primary Response Teams of the three less lethal weapons already available, that is bean bag shot, pepper spray and pepper spray shot.

The Inspectorate recommended that pepper spray should be made available to all Gardaí on operational duty and the Garda Commissioner is currently assessing the operational case for such availability.

These and other developments will substantially develop the capacity of the Garda Síochána to respond to barricade incidents, but clearly the questions raised by the Abbeylara incident require the comprehensive implementation of all of the recommendations of the Garda Síochána Inspectorate. The Garda Commissioner has committed himself to this, and implementation is under way.