Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 12 July 2017
229. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the extent to which the communications system in the various Garda stations throughout the country is adequately updated and upgraded to ensure an immediate response to members of the public; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33476/17]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, decisions in relation to the provision and allocation of Garda equipment and resources, including ICT, are a matter for the Garda Commissioner and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter.
The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Síochána Modernisation and Renewal Programme 2016-2021 is intended to professionalise, modernise and renew An Garda Síochána to ensure that the organisation can meet present and future challenges. I am informed by the Garda authorities that the Programme prioritises ICT projects with the aim of fully embedding technology initiatives to improve the services delivered to communities by An Garda Síochána.
I am further advised that Garda stations are currently fitted with analog Telephone Exchanges (PABX’s) which provide the telephony requirements for the station to contact and be contacted by the public. As part of the Garda Commissioner's Modernisation and Renewal Programme (MRP) a national Voice Over IP telephony solution will be provided to integrate the telephony systems of all Garda stations into a single telephony core. This will allow An Garda Síochána to manage non-emergency calls from the public to Garda stations more efficiently, and to ensure that all calls are logged and are provided with the appropriate response.
In addition, as part of the MRP, data services are currently being rolled out to sub district stations to provide them with PULSE access and other data services. Data services to District and Divisional Headquarters are also being enhanced to ensure that members have adequate bandwidth to support their requirements and to be in a position to take advantage of modern IT infrastructure that will be rolled out during the Programme.
