Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

On the matter of resources, I am pleased to confirm to the House that some €342 million, including €217 million in additional funding under the capital plan, is being invested in the Garda ICT infrastructure between 2016 and 2021. This major investment will allow An Garda Síochána to deploy the latest cutting-edge technologies in the fight against crime and will facilitate progress on important reforms. It will also ensure that road safety issues are dealt with in the manner expected. The capital plan has seen an investment of €46 million in the Garda fleet to ensure that An Garda Síochána has a modern, effective and fit for purpose fleet. This is in addition to the investment of almost €30 million in the period from 2013 to 2015. In total, over the period from 2013 to the end of 2017, almost €44 million has been invested in the fleet, with some 2,000 Garda vehicles coming on stream in that period. The national development plan provides for continued funding in these areas. While I accept that there is no room for complacency, 2017 represented the lowest number of road traffic fatalities on record, at 159. I am sure that the Deputy will agree that it is imperative that the positive momentum across road traffic enforcement and road safety initiatives is harnessed towards further annual reductions in fatalities and I am assured the plans to increase the numbers assigned to the traffic corps will support that.

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