Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

The allocation of Garda resources, including transport, is a matter for the Garda Commissioner. In turn, at Garda divisional level, the allocation of Garda vehicles is a matter for the chief superintendent who may make and revise arrangements for the deployment of vehicles throughout the division in response to policing demands. This flexibility in allocating and re-allocating vehicles among stations, so as to best match the allocation of resources with policing priorities, is crucial to the efficient management of the Garda fleet, particularly at a time of budgetary constraints. As a consequence, it is not practical to provide a station by station list of permanent allocations of Garda vehicles.

On 31 August 2012, the Garda vehicle fleet consisted of 2,480 vehicles. Even with the significant budgetary constraints that apply, 159 new Garda vehicles were brought into service in 2011 and a further 42 new vehicles were brought into service in the early part of 2012. A new contract for the provision of Garda transport has recently been concluded, under which a number of new vehicles have been ordered. The provision of additional Garda vehicles will be pursued in the context of the Garda Síochána's operational requirements and in the light of available resources.

See this speech in context