Michael McGrath (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)
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170. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of bench warrants currently waiting to be executed in Cork city, Cork west and Cork north Garda divisions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [1356/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will appreciate, difficulties in relation to the execution of warrants, including bench warrants, are a long-standing issue for many police forces around the world; notably relating to persons actively seeking to evade detection and where limited identification information might be available to support enforcement. These difficulties are compounded where the warrant has been outstanding for some years. However, I am assured that An Garda Síochána execute warrants as expeditiously as possible, giving priority to the execution of warrants relating to serious crimes.

The Deputy will also appreciate that the figure for outstanding bench warrants recorded by PULSE at any given time reflects an accumulation of old bench warrants which has arisen over the years and that therefore the total figure for outstanding bench warrants as shown on PULSE may not be a reliable indicator of the number of 'live' warrants which are actually enforceable. A welcome analysis of this issue was provided by the Garda Síochána Inspectorate in their report on Crime Investigation of November 2014. The Inspectorate Report acknowledges the difficulties often faced by Gardaí in pursuing the execution of warrants but it also points to deficiencies in the current systems, some of which are tied to the available technology for recording and monitoring information on warrants. In this regard the Government is providing a very important investment in new Garda technology under the Capital Plan 2016 – 2021; some €330 million, including €205 million under the Capital Plan, is being invested in Garda ICT infrastructure between 2016 and 2021 to enable An Garda Síochána to deploy the latest cutting edge technologies in the fight against crime.

In addition, as part of the overall strategic transformation programme underway in An Garda Síochána, a Warrants Review Group has been working on means of better managing and enforcing warrants taking on board the Inspectorate's analysis. I am advised that a number of improvements have been put in place, including greater use of clerical support staff which helps to free up Gardaí to concentrate on the execution as opposed to the administration of warrants. I am further advised that warrants enforcement is a recurring agenda item at Garda Senior Management Meetings, as well as regional performance and accountability meetings, to ensure that the situation is continually monitored.

The statistical information requested by the Deputy is set out in the table below.