Seán Sherlock (Cork East, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

49. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of administrative staff working in each division; and the number of gardaí that have been freed of desk duties as a result. [29498/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including civilian personnel and sworn members, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is made of these resources.

The Deputy will be aware that as part of the July 2016 Five Year Reform and High-level Workforce Plan for An Garda Síochána, the Government has agreed an overall vision for a Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021 to include 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Garda Reserve members and 4,000 civilians. The projected 4,000 civilians represents a medium-term target of 20% of the Garda full-time workforce comprised of civilians. This target is to be achieved through a twin-track approach of firstly, a “civilian by default” policy to be adopted in relation to the filling of all new posts other than operational policing posts and for non-operational policing posts that become vacant and, secondly, the redeployment of Gardaí to policing roles where their skills can be used to best effect. These roles are to backfilled by suitably qualified civilians where necessary. 

I have set out in the table the number of civilian staff by Division as of 31 May 2018. I am informed by the Commissioner that there were approximately 2,300 civilians overall within An Garda Síochána as of that date.

I am encouraged that the number of civilians working in An Garda Síochána is increasing. To date, almost 300 new civilian posts have been approved at the request of the Commissioner to address critical skills gaps and capacity issues across the organisation and to support the redeployment of Gardaí to policing duties.  I am informed that as of 31 May over 100 Garda members  have  been  redeployed  to policing roles. 

To drive momentum on this critical reform project Garda management has established a dedicated civilianisation project team in the Strategic Transformation Office. I understand that the team has reviewed the 2,055 posts  identified in the 2017 Organisation Deployment Survey undertaken by Garda management as potentially suitable for civilianisation and is currently focusing on some 400 of these for the early phases of the project. The project team has identified a number of guiding principles that will be taken into consideration when identifying roles for redeployment including selecting those who have spent the least amount of time in administrative roles first.  In addition, there must be regard, for example, to the reason that the member may be on administrative duties (e.g. recovering from an injury on duty, pregnancy etc) or that the member may require some refresher training before being reassigned to front-line policing. This approach is necessary to ensure that redeployment is handled in a manner that is fair to all involved.

To ensure that progress on civilianisation continues this year Budget 2018 has provided funding for up to 500 civilian staff. Civilianisation is a key element of the reform programme that is being pursued by An Garda Síochána. It brings advantages in terms of a more diverse skillset, professionalisation of the organisation, cost savings and more visible policing.  It will not be done overnight but I have made it clear to the Commissioner that progress on achieving the target of 20% implementation must continue and, indeed, accelerate to ensure the best possible policing services to the people of Ireland.

Garda Civilian Staff by Division – May 2018