Mr. Drew Harris:

We have our workforce strategy and our workforce distribution process, in which I am engaged. We meet monthly and review where the vacancies and the requirements are, who is looking for what and how we balance the organisation. It has been made somewhat simpler in recent months because probationary gardaí have been starting from college. This allows movement to the divisions and into specialised roles.

Part of my function is to balance these resources to make sure that all of our operational units remain viable. Part of this involves ensuring that rural divisions have enough personnel to allow them to patrol properly and have sustainability. It is not just about the workload; it is about the geographical area they cover. It is also about the community policing service they provide. The new management information system we have had for the past four months, Garda Safe, has been rolled out nationally. It gives us a complete picture of where demand is at any one time. It highlights the disparities in demand between the various divisions, which are quite considerable. Some divisions have two or three times the number of calls for assistance as others. This gives an idea of the disparity. This is not only down to population. It brings in-----