Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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465. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he has engaged or consulted with the Garda Commissioner and the Chief Constable of the PSNI in respect of developing a transfer of police officer staffing at all ranks allowing for officers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18762/19]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter.

An Garda Síochána has reciprocal arrangements with the PSNI for certain senior appointments. The Garda Inspectorate review on entry routes to the Garda Síochána, published in July 2018, recommends the extension of reciprocal arrangements to allow access to the sergeant and inspector promotion processes in both jurisdictions (An Garda Síochána and PSNI). The Commission on the future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI) report concurred with this.

Work is ongoing on this and is part of a wider review of entry routes to An Garda Síochána. It will be addressed as part of the implementation of the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland, which is a four year reform programme.