Eamon Scanlon (Sligo-North Leitrim, Fianna Fail)
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Question 192: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the position with regard to the joint policing body for County Leitrim; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7234/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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The Joint Policing Committees currently established in a pilot phase operate under revised guidelines issued by my predecessor as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform in May 2007, following consultations with the Ministers for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs. The purpose of the pilot phase is to gain experience from the operation of a number of Committees in a variety of local authority areas before rolling them out to all local authority areas in the State.

As part of an evaluation of the operation of the pilot Committees, my colleague the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and I held a consultation seminar on 29 November, 2007 with participants in the pilot Committees to consider the lessons from their operation to date. The seminar was a very useful exercise, and following on from it work is now underway on revising the guidelines to enable roll out of the Committees to all local authority areas in the State, including County Leitrim, to take place.