Oireachtas Joint and Select Committees

Thursday, 31 March 2022

Public Accounts Committee

2020 Report of the Comptroller and Auditor General and Appropriation Accounts
Vote 20 - An Garda Síochána

9:30 am

Mr. Drew Harris:

I might just take the third point and Mr. Nugent will take the first two points.

Yes, we are looking forward. In terms of building strategy out to the next ten years and beyond, we want to see where population change is obviously going to happen and, therefore, what new areas or what areas are going to actually increase in size. We can see that considerably both in north and south Dublin, and we have put proposals, in effect, for brand new stations to help to deliver on a policing service there. We can also see it right across the country where we have our towns gathering in considerable size. What were once quite small villages are now becoming, more and more, substantial commuter towns and we want to respond to that accordingly. That is built into what we have asked for in terms of our State capital projects for the next ten years but also, thinking of the ten years beyond that, how we want to be set up or how our capital investment should then deliver an estate, which is fit for purpose, going forward for the next 15 to 20 years.

Mr. Nugent will take the first two points around capital.