Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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Question 127: To ask the Minister for Justice and Law Reform the number of gardaí assigned to tackle child pornography exclusively; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35529/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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It is worth making the point at the outset that all members of An Garda Síochána are tasked with the investigation of criminal activity, including child pornography. Specifically in relation to this type of crime, the Sexual Crime Management Unit was recently established within the Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Investigation Unit of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

The functions of this unit include the evaluation and monitoring, in conjunction with the investigating member and local senior management, the investigation of child sexual abuse, child neglect and other selected sexual offences, to ensure that such investigations are receiving the appropriate attention and being brought to a prompt conclusion in accordance with best practice in investigation methodology. The Unit also acts as a Central Point of Contact for Divisional and District Senior Investigating Officers tasked with the investigation of this specific type of crime.

Personnel currently allocated to the Unit include 1 Detective Inspector, 1 Detective Sergeant and 5 Detective Gardai. Interviews are ongoing at present to fill a number of other vacancies within the Unit. Members of this Unit are qualified in interviewing suspects and injured parties, are fully conversant in Garda Policy in the area and will undergo training as Specialist Victim Interviewers and in the assessment and management of Sex Offenders, where appropriate.

Resources within the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation, in particular within the Computer Crime Investigation Unit, are also utilised by Senior Investigating Officers in the investigation of sexual crimes involving the forensic examination of computer media seized where images of child pornography are suspected.