Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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115. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she is satisfied that the adjustment measures in the Haddington Road agreement for members of An Garda Síochána will not adversely impact upon the quality of policing provided at present in view of the closure of Garda stations and the overall reduction in funding provided to the force in the past number of years; if she has commissioned a study on the impact of said measures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31664/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Haddington Road Agreement has been superseded by the Lansdowne Road Agreement which will provide the framework for industrial relations and pay determination within the public service until September 2018.

In relation to the Garda stations the Deputy will be aware that some 139 Garda stations were closed on foot of the Garda District and Station Rationalisation Programme, which was implemented in 2012 and 2013, following the completion by An Garda Síochána of a comprehensive review of its district and station network. As the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the effective and efficient use of the resources at her disposal, the review was undertaken with the objective of identifying opportunities to introduce strategic reforms to enhance service delivery, increase efficiency and streamline practices within the organisation. The review concluded that a revised district and station network commensurate with the organisation's resource base would best meet public demand. I have been informed by the Garda authorities that these closures allowed front line Garda to be managed and deployed with greater mobility, greater flexibility and in a more focused fashion particularly with regard to various targeted police operations.

The Programme for a Partnership Government commits the Government to asking the Policing Authority to oversee a review of, amongst other things, both the boundaries of Garda districts and the dispersement of Garda stations in rural areas. In addition, the Government is committed to launching a pilot scheme to reopen 6 Garda stations, both urban and rural, to determine possible positive impacts that such openings will have on criminal activity, with special emphasis on burglaries, theft and public order. I have asked the Authority to initiate the proposed review. In relation to the proposed pilot scheme, I have requested the Garda Commissioner, while fully cognisant of her statutory functions in relation to the distribution of Garda resources in the State, to identify for reopening 6 stations that were closed under the Garda Síochána District and Station Rationalisation Programme.

In relation to funding for An Garda Síochána I secured €1.583 billion for the Garda Vote for 2017. As I announced on Budget day the Government has approved my proposal that by 2021 the Garda workforce should comprise a total of 21,000 personnel; to include 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Garda Reserve members and 4,000 civilians. Funding has been provided for the recruitment in 2017 of 800 Garda recruits and up to 500 civilians to support the wide ranging reform plan in train in An Garda Síochána. Taking into account the recruits currently in training in Templemore, it is expected that there will be 700 new Gardai attested during 2017. This is in addition to the 680 Gardai which will be attested by the end of 2016 arising from the recommencement of recruitment in September 2014. In all, a total of 1,200 trainees will have commenced training in the Garda College over this period. Appointments will also be made to the Garda Reserve of approximately 300 in 2017. The civilians recruited during 2017 will provide specialist, technical, professional and administrative expertise across a range of areas. The funding provided in the Budget and other important announcements in relation to the significant increase in all components of the Garda workforce builds on the significant infrastructural funding provided in the current Capital Plan.

This ensures that all the structural components and corresponding funding are now in place to underpin the Commissioner's Modernisation and Reform Plan in An Garda Síochána over the next including personnel, critical ICT (with over €205 million allocated for new investment), transport with €46 million over the period, and the Garda Building and Refurbishment Programme including 3 new Divisional Headquarters.