Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
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To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to the fact that although there are three town councils and a county council in County Louth, there are only three regional county JPCs rather than three town JPCs and one county JPC and if he will investigate the reasons for same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [56755/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The functions and powers of Joint Policing Committees (JPCs) are set out in the Garda Síochána Act 2005, which requires each local authority and the Garda Commissioner to establish a JPC in each local authority area. The Act also provides that JPCs operate under guidelines issued by the Minister for Justice and Equality after consultation with the Minister for the Environment, Community and Local Government. The current guidelines were issued in September, 2008. These guidelines provide considerable flexibility in the operation of committees, including with regard to the use of subcommittees and cooperation between JPCs, including town and county committees. In this regard I am aware of the operating arrangements adopted by the JPCs in County Louth. The Programme for Government makes a commitment to build on existing community policing partnerships and forums to enhance trust between local communities and their Gardaí. In the spirit of that commitment I initiated a review of the operation of the Joint Policing Committees and I published a discussion document on 29 November this year to encourage open and wide ranging consultation on the matter. The present consultation process is open until the end of January 2013 and I am seeking views from the Garda authorities, local authorities, Oireachtas members, community organisations as well of course from the general public. I have made a specific request that each JPC would consider the document at one of its meetings and notify my Department of the outcome of its discussions. I look forward to the outcome of this consultation process and in that context I certainly welcome the Deputy's views on the role and functioning of the JPCs. The Deputy will also appreciate that the review process will need to take into account the broader developments with respect to local government reform which are under way and the implications of this reform for the operation of JPCs.