THE GARDA:ONLY 144 gardaí have been released from administrative duties since 2005 under the civilianisation programme, although almost 1,000 civilians have been employed in the force, according to the CAG report.
It said the ratio of civilians to gardaí in An Garda Síochána is one in seven, low by international standards. In the UK the ratio is one in three, and in Sweden and Australia it is one in four.
Some 900 civilian posts were approved by Government in three decisions since 2005 with the expressed intention of releasing gardaí from administrative duties, the report said. For example, in December 2006, the Government approved the creation of 300 clerical officer posts and said at least the same number of gardaí would be immediately reassigned to outdoor operational duties. Only 74 gardaí were released.
While the number of civilian staff working in the force had risen from 1,166 at the end of 2005 to 2,135 by the end of May 2009, only 144 Garda personnel were released to operational duties.
The CAG was also critical of the operation of some contracts by the Irish Prison Service. He said they were not “adequate to underpin openness, transparency and competition”. Almost €73 million worth of building projects carried out in prisons did not have formal contracts and exposed the service to “considerable risk”.
The report criticised the Defence Forces for acquiring two helicopters which were not certified to ferry personnel, and thus were restricted to moving cargo in the EU Mission to Chad. It said a series of mistakes had led to the situation where the Irish contingent, required to transport people, had spent sums hiring helicopters not suited or licensed for the purpose.
The Defence Forces’ logistics administration section had not asked the Air Corps to evaluate the helicopters and assess their fitness for purpose.
