Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 573: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform further to his response to Parliamentary Question No. 349 of 17 October 2007, the person who will be invited to participate in the consultation seminar on the experiences gained in the operation of the pilot Joint Policing Committee projects; his views on whether the broadest participation possible would contribute to the quality of findings; and if all JPC members can expect an invite. [25465/07]

Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 575: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will make a statement detailing what the €500,000 funding for Joint Policing Committees provided for in Budget 2007 has been spent on to date. [25467/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 573 and 575 together.

Officials from my Department and the Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government are currently engaged in organising a consultation seminar on Joint Policing Committees to be held before the end of November. My colleague the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and I will participate in the seminar, which will examine the experience gained in the operation of the committees which were established in the pilot phase. It is proposed to invite members of An Garda Síochána, local authorities, the Oireachtas and the community and voluntary sector who are involved in Joint Policing Committees, as well as inviting the participation of the representative associations for local authority members and city and county managers. I share the Deputy's view that the broadest participation possible in the seminar would contribute to its success. At the same time I believe that the numbers of those attending should not exceed the level at which all will have the opportunity of participating fully.

The Department of the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, in conjunction with my Department, is in discussion with the local authority representative bodies concerning the disbursement of the funding being made available by the two Departments.