Michael McNamara (Clare, Independent)
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453. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of barricade hostage incidents involving gardaí in the first eleven months of 2020; and the number in 2019. [43273/20]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána.

I am advised by the Garda Commissioner that the National Negotiation Unit (NNU) has a panel of trained Garda Negotiators spread across the State as an on-call resource. These negotiators can be deployed to any incident of the type described by the Deputy to begin dialogue with a view to influencing a safe conclusion. Training, deployment and governance of these negotiators rests with the NNU.

I am informed by An Garda Síochána that for the year 2019, the National Negotiation Unit (NNU) were activated on 98 occasions for various types of incidents.

The breakdown for these calls were as follows:

Mental Health35

Mental Health Barricade32

Criminal18

Extortion1

Possible Kidnap / Hostage2

Planned Operation1

Possible CRI Alert 1

High Risk Missing Person2

Mobile Suspect1

No Offence 2

Assistance to Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade3

The NNU have been activated on 89 occasions up to and including the 30^thof November 2020. The breakdown of these calls was as follows:

Mental Health17

Mental Health Barricade21

Criminal41

Possible Kidnap / Hostage1

Possible CRI Alert1

Assistance to Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade4

Assistance from on call Mental Health Professionals 3

High Risk Missing Person1

The Deputy should note that the requests for assistance from the on call Mental Health Professionals in relation to the fitness of subjects for interview is not a figure that would have been recorded in previous years. Many of the incidents recorded as Criminal in nature would also have an underlying Mental Health issue which would have acted as a contributing factor.