Four years after the Government promised to "civilianise" Garda jobs none of the almost 500 available gardaí have been released from desk jobs, the Dáil was told.
Fine Gael's justice spokesman, Mr Jim O'Keeffe said it was a "disgrace" and "an absolute indictment of the Government that four years after that decision was trumpeted - before an election, of course - not a single one of those desk jobs has been filled by a civilian".
The Cork South-West TD said there were 496 gardaí in desk jobs waiting to go on the streets, so "let me hear no more bleating about a shortage of gardaí" or "waffle about having gardaí on the street in 2009. I want gardaí on the streets by Christmas." This could be done if the decision on civilianisation of jobs was implemented.
Mr O'Keeffe was speaking during Justice Question Time, when Minister of State Mr Brian Lenihan said the transfer of further Department of Justice civilian staff to the Garda was provided for in the Garda Síochána Bill, 2004.
The next phase of the civilianisation programme, to release the 496 gardaí from desk jobs, "must be rolled out within the confines of the Government decision of December 4th, 2002, which placed a cap on numbers across the public service".
A review was underway as a "matter of priority" by the Department of Finance and the Garda based on the "overall constraints of public service numbers", Mr Lenihan said.
But Mr O'Keeffe said the Government was "handcuffing" itself on the issue. There had been repeated promises from the Minister for Justice about his commitment to provide extra gardaí, even though there were 496 of them sitting behind desks.
"What explanation or excuse has the Government for treating the public and the Garda Síochána so disgracefully in this regard?" he asked. The Government had accepted a report on civilianisation to allow for the "relevant jobs to be done at a more economic cost and to free up gardaí for work more suited to their training and development.
"In the interim, resources have been wasted. A person can be trained to work behind a desk in a matter of weeks but it takes two years to train a garda."
Mr Lenihan said progress on the issue had to take place within the framework of the cap on public and Civil Service jobs. It was not true to insinuate little progress had been made. An extensive civilianisation programme was underway, including the transfer of the finance function from Garda district clerks to 112 civilians, and "this has freed up Garda resources allowing gardaí to concentrate on policing matters".
