Pat Rabbitte (Dublin South West, Labour)
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Question 66: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if he will confirm that Garda personnel are barred from inputting incidents directly in the Garda PULSE system and that they must instead phone the details through to an office in Castlebar County Mayo; if he is satisfied that this is the best use of resources having regard to the fact that members of the force were trained to do this task; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [46733/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I have been advised by the Garda authorities that Garda members are not barred from directly inputting data onto the PULSE system. It is however a general policy that, with the exception of incidents where direct Garda input is required for operational reasons, incidents should be phoned into and created on PULSE by personnel in the Garda Information Service Centre (GISC).

The GISC provides for Gardaí, who would otherwise have to return to their Stations to input data onto the PULSE system, to log the information with their civilian colleagues in the GISC, while remaining free to continue their operational duties. This major initiative has freed up significant amounts of Garda time for frontline policing. Quality control and review of data is also managed by dedicated civilian staff at the GISC, thereby relieving Sergeants of this administrative task and allowing them to be deployed for more operational duties.

PULSE, the main repository of incident information available to the Force, is more widely available than ever in over 340 locations nationwide and continues to be an invaluable tool used extensively by Gardaí in the performance of their duties. The establishment of the GISC in Castlebar has been one of the most successful efficiency measures in the history of the Garda Síochána. It is an overwhelmingly civilianised operation which has vastly improved the effectiveness and accuracy of the PULSE system.