Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
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Question 116: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of an Garda Síochána serving in non-policing duties including clerical, communications and management by division; his plans to civilianise these roles to release personnel for policing duties; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32821/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that some 339 members of the Garda Síochána are in receipt of designated post or ex-gratia allowances which are paid to members exclusively engaged in administrative duties relating to their functions. The incumbents of the majority of these posts are Gardaí and Sergeants employed in District, Divisional and Regional Offices. The remainder are employed in branches throughout Garda Headquarters.

There are currently over 2,000 full-time-equivalent civilian support staff in the Garda Síochána. These staff provide vital support services in a wide range of areas, such as human resources, training & development, IT and telecommunications, finance and procurement, internal audit, research and analysis, accommodation and fleet management, scene-of-crime support and medical services. In doing so, they release highly trained Gardaí from administrative tasks to operational policing.

We will continue to maximise the number of civilian support staff in An Garda Síochána consistent with overall policy on numbers in the public service and taking into account the scope for the appropriate redeployment of staff from elsewhere in the public service as part of the reform process under the Croke Park Agreement.