Pearse Doherty (Donegal South West, Sinn Fein)
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51. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda ethnic liason officers that are currently working with minority communities. [39757/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, throughout the organisation and I have no direct function in the matter.

However, I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that there are currently three hundred and twenty Garda Ethnic Liaison Officers (ELOs) appointed to work with minority communities at local level. These ELOs are front-line Gardaí who are given specialist briefings to work with minority communities and to understand the specificities of hate and/or racist crime.

Each Garda Division has a number of appointed ELOs who are in contact with the representatives of minority groups on a regular basis. A list of ELOs appointed nationwide is available on the Garda website .