Aengus Ó Snodaigh (Dublin South Central, Sinn Fein)
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Question 318: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on amending the legislation governing joint policing committees to allow representatives from the Health Service Executive to become members of the JPCs. [17390/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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Joint Policing Committees are provided for in the Garda Síochána Act 2005. Their purpose is to provide a forum where the Garda Síochána and the local authority - the two organisations which make the most significant contribution to preventing and tackling crime in a specific area - can come together, with the participation of members of the Oireachtas and community and voluntary interests, on matters affecting the area. On 24 September last I launched, with my colleague the Minister for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government, the roll-out of the committees from the initial pilot phase in 29 local authority areas to all 114 local authority areas. The guidelines I issued last September, following consultation with my colleagues, the Ministers for the Environment, Heritage and Local Government and Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, set out, inter alia, the provisions for the membership of the committees. It is not considered necessary to provide for representatives of the Health Service Executive to be members of the committees.