Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

While Garda overtime will be reduced next year, one must consider the sizeable number of gardaí recruited in recent years. Next year alone, Garda numbers will increase from 14,267 to almost 15,000. These figures do not take into account the substantial civilianisation programme under which 2,600 civilians do office work done previously by gardaí in Garda stations. The civilianisation process is a response to views expressed by Members from all sides that gardaí must be deployed on the streets.

The Deputy, who is being political on this matter, should be aware that the number of gardaí will reach 15,000 by the end of 2009, whereas the Fine Gael Party promised in Deputy Kenny's "contract" that it would reach 15,000 by 2012. If we were to listen to Deputy Richard Bruton on the budget, the cut in the Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform's budget would be larger than the 2.7% reduction introduced in October.

On youth diversion projects, my Department works on a multi-agency, ongoing basis with a number of agencies, including the Health Service Executive. The Taoiseach and I regularly attend general security and crime briefings provided by Garda management. On the specific case in East Wall, as I indicated, it was argued in some quarters that insufficient community gardaí were available. There are, I believe, 28 or 30 community gardaí attached to Store Street Garda station. Yesterday, a journalist complimented the Garda on the substantial number of community gardaí in the area. Four community gardaí are deployed on beat patrol in East Wall on a constant basis. Three of these are deployed daily between 10 a.m. and 2 a.m. from Monday to Saturday, with two deployed during the same period on Sundays. The area has a 24-hour armed presence and a community policing mobile patrol car is in operation from 8 p.m. until 5 a.m. every Friday and Saturday night. Additional pedal cycle patrols are deployed in the area and, arising from its proximity to Dublin Port, checkpoints are regularly conducted in the area between 6 p.m. and midnight by the divisional traffic unit.

A number of operations are also in place, one of which, Operation Intent, involves having two public order vans deployed patrolling the immediate area from Thursday to Sunday night from 8 p.m. until 4 a.m. One sergeant and six gardaí are involved, while plain clothes and uniform patrols are also deployed in the area. There is, therefore, a substantial Garda presence in the East Wall area.

The involvement of the Garda in youth diversion projects in the East Wall area is substantial. Four such projects are funded by my Department with a view to assisting young people and diverting them from crime. The HAY project in Dunne Street, which operates under Fitzgibbon Street Garda station, had 19 participants in 2007 and received funding of €46,000 for the year. The project did not have a co-ordinator for most of 2007. The Swan project in Dunne Street, which operates from Store Street Garda station, also received a substantial funding allocation of €65,500. The DIME project in Hardwicke Street had 23 participants in 2007 and received annual funding of approximately €100,000. The NICKOL project in Buckingham Street, which operates under the Fitzgibbon Street Garda district, had 20 participants in 2007 and received a funding allocation of €130,000. Certain statements are incorrect because gardaí are involved not only in policing, but are also doing substantial work——-

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