Verona Murphy (Wexford, Independent)
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220. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality when the Garda Reserve programme will be reopened; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9936/20]

Charles Flanagan (Laois-Offaly, Fine Gael)
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The Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for the management of An Garda Síochána as well as the allocation and distribution of resources. This includes responsibility for the recruitment, training and deployment of Garda members and members of the Garda Reserve. As Minister, I have no responsibility in these matters. I am assured however that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review, in the context of crime trends and policing priorities, to ensure their optimum use.

I understand that there are currently 436 Garda reserves. The Deputy may be interested to know that the strength of the Garda Reserve in each of the years from 2009 to 30 April 2020, as provided by me by the Garda Commissioner, is available on my Department’s website at the following link:

The Deputy will appreciate that the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland, endorsed by the Government in December 2018, suggested that the Garda Reserve programme as it stands is not realising its potential. The Commission recommended that future recruitment to the Garda Reserve should be paused, pending the outcome of a comprehensive strategic review, in order to examine how best to structure the Garda Reserve to meet the needs of An Garda Síochána. This was subsequently included in "A Policing Service for the Future", the 4-year implementation plan for the Commission's report.

I understand from the Garda authorities that the Garda Commissioner commenced a review of the Reserve in 2019.

I am further informed that a new Garda Reserve class commenced training in March 2019. I understand that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, completion of training, certification and attestation is taking a longer period than usual.

I understand that further recruitment to the Garda reserve was closed in November 2019 and that candidates remaining in the appointments process were informed of that at the time. I understand that commencement of further recruitment for the reserve will be dependent on factors including capacity to provide training.