Forty per cent of garda stations in the State are not linked to the garda network and do not have email access, it has emerged.
Minister for Justice Alan Shatter admitted, in reponse to a parliamentary question to Fianna Fáil justice spokesman Dara Calleary, that only 421 of the country's 703 garda stations are "networked locations".
This means that 282 stations are not networked and do not have a unique email connection.
Deputy Calleary said: "How is it possible that in this day and age, 4 out of 10 garda stations in this country are not 'networked' and do not have email access? It is absurd that such a basic necessity for the operation of any office would be so lacking within our garda force.
Mr Calleary called on the Minister to outline what plans he has to address the issue.
"This does not have to be a costly exercise, it's about being clever about how resources are managed to achieve maximum benefit to the public", Mr Calleary said.
A statement issued by the Department of Justice this evening said: "The provision of information technology facilities is an operational matter for the Garda Commissioner. This was the position throughout 14 years of continuous Fianna Fail led government and remains the position today as it is right that operational decisions are made by the Garda Commissioner and not the Minister for Justice.
"It is extraordinary that Deputy Dara Calleary does not acknowledge or understand this. The information in the Minister’s Parliamentary Question response was supplied by the Garda authorities. Additionally, the Minister has been advised that it was not the intention that all Garda Stations should be linked to the Garda network. This involves a substantial financial outlay and it would not be cost effective in the case of stations which are manned for limited periods of time."
The statement added that Mr Shatter had been advised that the network is being extended to additional stations and that this is a process which will continue. "All Garda members have access to the Garda network via connected stations. The Minister would like to emphasise that Garda members have available to them the most up to date secure radio communications equipment."