Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 84: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if Gardaí will be receiving specialist training regarding the identification of trafficked children into the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27386/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that a module on 'Trafficking in Human Beings' is currently being provided by Continuous Professional Development training in the 2007 Core Programme. This training is provided to all members of Garda and Sergeant Rank.

All Student and Probationer Gardaí receive training on immigration legislation and aspects of the Children Act 2001. This training includes reference to child abuse and cruelty. A specialist training course on Tackling Human Trafficking — Prevention, Protection, Prosecution was developed in 2006 by personnel at the Garda College in conjunction with members of the Garda National Immigration Bureau (GNIB) and officials from the International Organisation for Migration (IOM). Personnel from the UK Human Trafficking Centre (UKHTC); Ruhama and the Migrant Rights Centre Ireland (MRCI), (two Non-Government Organisations that regularly encounter people who claim to be victims of human trafficking), and officials from the Health Service Executive (HSE) (who have responsibility for dealing with unaccompanied minors who arrive in the State, some of whom are suspected of having been trafficked into the State), assisted in the preparation of the training package and contribute to the courses on an ongoing basis.

The course is aimed at Garda personnel who interact with members of non-national communities and other ethnic groups, to assist them in identifying persons who may be victims of human trafficking. Fifty members of the Garda Síochána and the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) participated in this initial training programme during 2006. An additional one-hundred (100) members have completed the programme to date in 2007. The programme is ongoing.