Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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298. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she has amended certain statutory instruments in Section 9 of the Garda Síochána Functions and Operational Areas Act 2022 since its enactment (details supplied). [52297/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Section 9 provides a power for the Minister for Justice to amend specific references to a Garda district or Garda rank in statutory instruments. It will allows the Minister to make certain other amendments to give effect to a determination of the Commissioner of the Garda Síochána under section 33(1)of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (which deals with the distribution of Garda members throughout the State).

The purpose of this section is to provide for the making of a statutory instrument to amend other statutory instruments that refer to the word ‘district’ or specific Garda ranks to reflect the changes to the organisational structure of An Garda Síochána brought about by the introduction of the new Garda operating model. It is intended that any such amendments will be along the same lines as those being made in the Schedules to the Act.

To date, no statutory instruments under section 9 of the Garda Síochána (Functions and Operational Areas) Act 2022 have been made.

Following discussions with the Office of the Parliamentary Counsel and within my Department, it is my intention to make Regulations under section 9 at the same time as the Act is commenced in its entirety once the new operating model has been rolled out nationwide.

Work has been underway in An Garda Síochána (AGS) for some time to prepare for and implement the new organisational structure. The model was announced by the Commissioner in August 2019.

As the Deputy will be aware, the new operating model reflects and addresses the challenges of modern day policing by enabling specialisation in the delivery of key services and freeing up more Gardaí to focus on front line policing.

It will particularly enhance the investigation of crime through the delivery of a greater range of specialised services in local areas such as the investigation of sexual crime, domestic violence, cyber-crime, and economic crime.

The Operating Model is designed to make each Division the central unit of policing administration, rather than the current smaller District model, to benefit from greater scale. This is to provide a more comprehensive and inclusive policing service and will help strengthen the focus on community policing.

The development and introduction of the Operating Model was a recommendation by both the Garda Inspectorate and the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI).

Its focus is on community policing based on local needs consistent with the objective of “Keeping People Safe” by working closely with wider services to prevent crime and support vulnerable people. The model will also facilitate more effective streamlining of administrative processes and reduce bureaucracy.

Under the Model, all services will be managed and co-ordinated at divisional level, to allow greater specialisation and to release Gardaí from back office functions, and Garda Districts will no longer form part of the organisational structure.

This will result in a reduction in the number of Garda Divisions from the current 28 to 19 with each comprised of four Functional Areas: Community Engagement, Crime, Performance Assurance and Business Services. The Operating Model is currently being rolled out in all divisions and is fully implemented in five.