More Forensic Scientists.

sunnyjim

20 new posts for State forensic lab
Conor Lally, Crime Correspondent

Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan has announced the creation of 20 posts at the Forensic Science Laboratory.

The move comes after the publication yesterday of an expert report which was highly critical of resourcing levels at the laboratory.

The report was carried out on behalf of the Government by Prof Ingvar Kopp, the former head of the state forensic laboratory in Sweden.

He was also a founding member of the European Network of Forensic Institutes.

He was commissioned in December 2006 by the then minister for justice, Michael McDowell, to carry out a review of the Irish laboratory's operations. He completed his report last April. It was published yesterday.

Among a variety of reforms, he has recommended the creation of an additional 40 posts at the laboratory at Garda Headquarters, Phoenix Park, Dublin.

However, about half of these posts are not needed immediately because these new personnel will run the planned DNA database which is not yet in operation.

Mr Lenihan said Prof Kopp's report provided useful advice on "several fronts". He welcomed the findings that the State laboratory's productivity levels compared favourably internationally.

Announcing the 20 new posts for the Irish laboratory, Mr Lenihan said these would bring staffing levels to over 100, which was a 40 per cent increase in the past 12 months.

"The assignment of these additional resources to meet the needs of gardaí is justified from the perspective of value for money as well as effective crime investigation," he said.

He added the new posts would also assist in the rolling out of the long-promised DNA database.

"Legislation to make this possible is to be published in the coming months and will provide An Garda Síochána with an invaluable intelligence tool in combating crime."

Prof Kopp's report noted the lack of resources at the laboratory meant one in three DNA and drug samples sent for testing by gardaí were not being processed. He concluded crime detection was suffering as a result, while Garda intelligence was also being lost.

Apart from making a series of resourcing recommendations to improve testing outputs, Prof Kopp has also proposed overhauling the manner in which the laboratory liaises with gardaí with a view to streamlining processes.

He has proposed that resources such as information technology should be improved in an effort to allow gardaí and the laboratory share information and communicate more easily.

He also suggested the laboratory go into partnership with other science facilities in an effort to undertake joint research and establish internships.

Mr Lenihan said these recommendations would be considered.

Prof Kopp has recommended at least €4.5 million be made available in the first year of the DNA database for information technology and other equipment such as testing kits.

© 2008 The Irish Times

http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/ire...917852074.html

Hopefully another 20 to manage the DNA database.

Fantastic news. I graduate in the not-too-distant future, so here's hoping that there's a few spaces left for Lab Tech Sunnyjim!

BeardyGit

I'd suggest you change the title of this thread. It's completely disjointed from the contents of your post....

Celticfire

Gil_Dub wrote: »

I'd suggest you change the title of this thread. It's completely disjointed from the contents of your post....

+1.

Dave!

Yeah I don't know what the title means

Good to hear about the new jobs though, hope you get one OP.

civdef

Got there first.

Dr Strange

It would be a step forward if they would not only increase the staff number but build a state-of-the-art forensic centre like other countries have. Not just for trace elemnt analysis and stuff but everything, from forensic medicine/pathology to forensic anthropology, forensic archaeology, f. palynology, f. entomology, f. podiatry etc. Everything under one roof.

Or at least start working with the relevant research centres in the Universities.

TheNog

are they not building a new forensic building beside the old one?

Dr Strange

TheNog wrote: »

are they not building a new forensic building beside the old one?

Yes, I think so but as far as I know there won't be any new disciplines in it bar maybe the DNA one.

sunnyjim

Can't remember what title I gave, sorry lads.