Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 471: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will give an assurance that current levels of service provided by Garda Public Offices at Garda stations in County Donegal will at a minimum be maintained at current levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16803/12]

Charlie McConalogue (Donegal North East, Fianna Fail)
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Question 472: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will give an assurance that there are no plans in place to close any Garda public offices in the Buncrana or Letterkenny garda districts of the Donegal division; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16804/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 471 and 472 together.

As the Deputy is aware, the Commissioner's Policing Plan for 2012, which I laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas on 5 December 2011, sets out the future opening hours of 10 Garda Stations in the Dublin Metropolitan Region and the closure of 39 Garda Stations throughout the country. The only stations in the Donegal Garda Division which are due to close are Culdaff and Dunkineely Garda Stations.

In preparing the Policing Plan, the Garda Commissioner reviewed all aspects of the Garda Síochána's policing model, including the deployment of personnel, the utilisation of modern technologies and the operation of Garda stations, both in terms of opening hours and possible closures. In addition, all Divisional Officers were asked to assess the level of activity in each Garda Station in their area. It must be stressed that the key objective of the station closures is to promote the more efficient and effective deployment of resources rather than secure modest cash savings. In this context the Commissioner has concluded that Garda resources could be better deployed and more effectively used on the frontline if a particular station no longer had to be staffed and maintained. The allocation of resources including personnel and the day to day operations of the force, including opening hours of Garda stations are a matter for the Commissioner.

The Policing Plan for 2013 has not yet been prepared and therefore it is not possible to say at this stage what it may contain. Specifically in relation to the Donegal Garda Division, on 29 February 2012, the latest date for which figures are readily available, there were 436 Gardaí assigned to the Division of which 75 were assigned to the Buncrana District and 165 to Letterkenny District. There were also 25 Garda Reserve members and 29 civilian staff assigned to different stations across the Division. These resources are augmented, when appropriate, by Gardaí from national units such as the Garda National Drug Unit and the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.

Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail)
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Question 475: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will confirm that there is no threat to the future of a Garda Station (details supplied) in County Cavan; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16824/12]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, the Commissioner's Policing Plan for 2012, which I laid before both Houses of the Oireachtas on 5 December 2011, sets out the future opening hours of 10 Garda Stations and the closure of 39 Garda Stations. The only station in the Cavan Garda Division which is due to close is Tullyvin Garda Station.

In preparing the Policing Plan, the Garda Commissioner reviewed all aspects of the Garda Síochána's policing model, including the deployment of personnel, the utilisation of modern technologies and the operation of Garda stations, both in terms of opening hours and possible closures. In addition, all Divisional Officers were asked to assess the level of activity in each Garda Station in their area. It must be stressed that the key objective of the station closures is to promote the more efficient and effective deployment of resources rather than secure modest cash savings. In this context the Commissioner has concluded that Garda resources could be better deployed and more effectively used on the frontline if a particular station no longer had to be staffed and maintained.

The Policing Plan for 2013 has not yet been prepared and therefore it is not possible to say at this stage what it may contain. Specifically in relation to the Cavan Garda Division, on 29 February 2012, the latest date for which figures are readily available, there were 348 Gardaí assigned to the Cavan/Monaghan Division of which 70 were assigned to the Cavan District. There were also 19 Garda Reserve members and 37 civilian staff assigned to different stations across the Division. These resources are augmented, when appropriate, by Gardaí from national units such as the Garda National Drug Unit and the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation.