Written answers
Wednesday, 22 March 2023
Department of Justice and Equality
An Garda Síochána
Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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220. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 490 of 28 February 2023, if he has received the necessary information from the Garda authorities to answer the question; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14219/23]
Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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I understand the Deputy is referring to Parliamentary Questions No. 490 of 28 February 2023, which asked for 'the number of gardaí by rank attached to a district community response team within the DMR as of 20 February 2023; and if he will make a statement on the matter.'
As the Deputy will be aware, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including the distribution of Garda resources. As Minister for Justice, I have no role in these matters.
I understand that it is a matter for the Divisional Chief Superintendent to determine the distribution of duties among the personnel available to them, having regard to the profile of each area within the Division and its specific needs. I am further advised that there are no set requirements to have a specific number of Community Gardaí posts across the Divisions.
It is important to note that community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána and that all Gardaí have a role to play in community policing in the course of carrying out their duties.
Indeed, this is fundamental to the new Garda Operating Model recommended by the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland and currently being rolled out under 'A Policing Service for Our Future', the Government's implementation plan for the Commission's recommendations.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the table below provides a breakdown of members attached to Community Policing Teams within the DMR.
| Region | Division | District | Garda | Sergeant | Inspector | Total |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DMR | West | K | 21 | 3 | 1 | 25 |
| DMR | West | L | 15 | 2 | 1 | 18 |
| DMR | West | Q | 16 | 3 | 0 | 19 |
| DMR | South Central | A | 5 | 1 | 0 | 6 |
| DMR | South Central | B | 18 | 2 | 0 | 20 |
| DMR | South Central | E | 10 | 2 | 2 | 14 |
| DMR | South | G | 10 | 1 | 0 | 11 |
| DMR | South | M | 22 | 3 | 1 | 26 |
| DMR | South | P | 11 | 2 | 0 | 13 |
| DMR | North | H | 17 | 2 | 0 | 19 |
| DMR | North | J | 12 | 2 | 0 | 14 |
| DMR | North | R | 16 | 2 | 0 | 18 |
| DMR | North | Y | 13 | 1 | 0 | 14 |
| DMR | East | W | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| DMR | East | F | 9 | 1 | 0 | 10 |
| DMR | North Central | D | 8 | 1 | 0 | 9 |
| DMR | North Central | C | 6 | 1 | 1 | 8 |
| DMR | North Central | U | 15 | 1 | 0 | 16 |
| DMR | North Central (Comm. Response Team) | U | 4 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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221. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of cases of robbery of an institution or establishment that were reported to gardaí in the B district within DMR in 2022 and to-date in 2023, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14220/23]
Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including the investigation of crime. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
However, to be of assistance I sought the information requested by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána and have been advised that there were 29 incidents of 'Robbery from an Establishment' reported during 2022 in the Pearse Street District.
I have also been advised that the year to date count to the end of February is fewer than 10. As the Deputy may already be aware, data is not released by An Garda Síochána for counts less than 10 for data protection reasons.
Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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222. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if any gardaí went overseas for specialist training course for which that training is not available within the State in 2022 and to-date in 2023; if so, the name of the specialist course; the duration of that course; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14221/23]
Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business, including the recruitment and training of Garda members and staff, under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended). As Minister, I have no role in these independent functions.
To be of assistance I have contacted the Garda authorities and have been advised of the following information in relation to the Deputy's query.
Specialist training undertaken by members attached to the Garda College in 2022-2023 to date, which was not available within the State, is as follows:
| Name of the course | Duration |
|---|---|
| Stinger Master Instructor Level | Three day |
| Sig Sauer Firearms Instructor Training | Ten day |
| CBRN Instructors level | Fourteen day |
| ASP, Baton and Handcuff Instructor re-cert | Seven day |
I am further advised that the Irish CEPOL National Unit, International Training, Garda College Templemore is responsible for the distribution of CEPOL (Collège Européen de Police - European Union Agency for Law Enforcement Training) onsite courses to the various Policy Owners in An Garda Síochána.
CEPOL onsite courses are held in a training institute in the various EU Member States, such as the Garda College, Templemore. CEPOL onsite activities provide an opportunity to gain a deeper understanding of a specialist subject area for which training is not available within the State. CEPOL course thematic areas range from “SIRENE” (Supplementary Information Request at the National Entries) to “Crisis Hostage Negotiation” to “Cross-border Drug Investigation”. These courses provide an excellent opportunity for participants from An Garda Síochána to network and cooperate with fellow law enforcement officials in Europe and to increase their knowledge of specialist areas.
An Garda Síochána participated in seventy-four CEPOL Residential/Onsite Courses abroad in 2022, as follows:
| Name of the course | Duration |
|---|---|
| Workshop on Preventing & countering terrorist infiltrations among illegal migration routes | 3 days |
| Chemical Biological Radiological and Nuclear (CBRN) Incidents Management Operational Training | 5 days |
| EU/Turkey Workshop on "Exploring the link between organised criminal groups & terrorist groups." | 3 days |
| Child Trafficking | 4 days |
| OSINT and IT Solutions (1st) | 5 days |
| Live Data Forensics | 5 days |
| JIT Implementation | 5 days |
| Darkweb and cryptocurrencies | 5 days |
| Malware Investigation | 5 days |
| Trafficking in human beings - Sexual Exploitation | 4 days |
| Document Fraud Investigation | 5 days |
| Child Sexual Exploitation on the Internet | 5 days |
| Illicit Laboratory Dismantling - advanced | 12 days |
| Intellectual Property Rights - counterfeiting and piracy | 5 days |
| Schengen evaluation - Police cooperation | 5 days |
| Informant handling - advanced | 4 days |
| Terrorism and Firearms | 4 days |
| Preventing juvenile crime and domestic violence | 4 days |
| Countering Serious Organised Crime and Mafia-style groups | 4 days |
| Child Sexual Exploitation Victim Identification | 11 days |
| First Responders and Cyber Forensics | 5 days |
| EEODN (European Explosive Ordnance Disposal Network | 5 days |
| Train the Trainers | 5 days |
| Investigating & Preventing Corruption | 4 days |
| Organised Property Crime | 4 days |
| Excise Fraud | 5 days |
| Public-private Partnerships Other Forms to Counter Financing of Terrorism | 5 days |
| Money laundering via offshore structures | 5 days |
| PNR Data Analysis | 3 days |
| Cash & Trade based Money Laundering | 5 days |
| Drug Trafficking Methods - Mail and Postal Parcels | 5 days |
| OSINT and IT Solutions (2nd) | 5 days |
| THB - Labour Exploitation | 5 days |
| Conducting Forensic Searches in Various IT devices | 5 days |
| Behaviour Analysis in the context of Facilitated Illegal Immigration | 5 days |
| Financial Investigation on Virtual Currencies | 5 days |
| Violent attacks against public - amok shootings | 4 days |
| Victim Protection | 4 days |
| EMPEN tactical medical training | 4 days |
| Fundamental Rights - Police Ethics | 5 days |
| Interoperability of the EU large Scale IT Systems - current and future implementation | 5 days |
| Civilian CSDP Operational Planning | 5 days |
| Financial intelligence and analysis | 5 days |
| Investigation of Facilitated Illegal Immigration | 5 days |
| Pan European Football Security | 5 days |
| Hate Crime | 4 days |
| Wildlife Crime | 5 days |
| Illicit Drug Laboratory Dismantling | 4 days |
| Digital Forensic Investigator | 12 days |
| ONS MAC Forensics | 5 days |
| Joint Investigation Team Leadership | 5 days |
| Training on Police Information Exchange | 5 days |
| CPCC Planners - Civilian CSDP Planning | 5 days |
| Understanding the Darknet | 5 days |
| Police Data Exchange with Third Countries | 5 days |
| Witness Protection | 5 days |
| Waste Crime | 5 days |
| Undercover Operations | 4 days |
| Crisis Hostage Negotiation | 5 days |
| Workshop for Activity Managers | 4 days |
| Cross-border Drug Investigations | 5 days |
| Trafficking in Human Beings - forced criminality & forced begging | 4 days |
| Firearms Crime | 5 days |
| Public Order & Crowd Management | 4 days |
| Insider Threat - Radicalisation within the LE | 4 days |
| SIRENE Officers Level 2 | 4 days |
| Linux Forensics | 5 days |
| Dismantling of Cannabis Production and Trafficking | 4 days |
| Drug Crime & Markets | 4 days |
| Cybercrime: Advanced Windows File Systems: Forensics | 5 days |
| Operational Intelligence Analysis | 5 days |
| Darkweb and cryptocurrencies Advanced | 5 days |
| MTIC Missing Trader Intra Community Fraud Course | 4 days |
| Behind Enemy Minds | 6 days |
An Garda Síochána have participated in two CEPOL Residential/Onsite courses abroad to date in 2023, as follows:
| Name of the course | Duration |
|---|---|
| Anti-Corruption and Economic/Financial Crime | 3 days |
| Hate Crime | 4 days |
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