Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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11. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of the new Garda recruits assigned to the west Cork Garda division in each year since Garda recruitment resumed in 2014; and the attested personnel strength of the west Cork Garda division in September 2014 and at the end of February 2017. [15765/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I will circulate the details to the Deputy on the numbers in the Cork west division. In 2014, the personnel strength was 271, in 2015, it was 276, in 2016, it was 281 and it is now 282. Five of the newly-attested gardaí were stationed in that area in 2015. I made the point earlier to one of the Deputy's colleagues that as recruitment continues and as we have more newly-attested gardaí and extra recruitment throughout the year, the Garda Commissioner will be in a position to analyse the needs of different areas and decide where those newly-available Garda recruits can go. We have a plan in terms of the numbers of gardaí now being recruited. The goal is to arrive at 21,000 by 2021. That includes 15,000 Garda members. Taking account of retirements, which the plan does, we will reach that figure by 2021. That plan is on course to be achieved. The funding has been provided this year for 800 Garda recruits, up to 500 civilians to support the reform plan and 300 Garda Reserves. The Deputy will have heard the advertisements for that recently. In terms of the needs of the Deputy's own area and the area of the west Cork division, obviously the inspectorate is also looking at how gardaí are allocated to different areas. There is an overall review, but the important point is that the allocation of personnel to different areas is based on need in the area. I have no doubt that the Deputy is familiar with the need in her own area. The numbers have been increasing very slightly and five of the new gardaí have gone to the area.

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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I can guarantee the Minister there is a great need for new Garda recruitment. The number of gardaí in the west Cork division fell from 318 to 270 between 2010 and 2015, which is down 48. Many stations were also closed, including Ballinspittle, Adrigool, Ballydehob, Goleen, Ballingurteen and Castletownshend. The Minister must realise that many towns and villages throughout west Cork do not have 24-hour cover and are therefore on the back foot from the very start. Gardaí in these areas are reacting to incidents rather than ensuring preventative measures are in place. This, I must stress, is through no fault of their own. When many of the rural stations were closed, resources should have been afforded to the larger stations to counteract the closures around west Cork. I ask the Minister to comment on that.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The years during which Templemore was closed as a result of the economic situation had a very serious impact right around the country. The Deputy quoted the figures for her own area. Closing Templemore had a huge impact because recruitment was stopped. If recruitment is stopped, we do not have the people to station in areas like the Deputy's. We had to deal with that situation when we came into office in 2011. This Government has started to invest in An Garda Síochána as well. There are many challenges, as we saw this week. There are many areas in which work needs to be done. However, we need people to carry out the work. One cannot get people unless there is recruitment, obviously. People cannot be put in the Deputy's area without recruitment. I have no doubt that she is right and that the numbers fell by the figures that she quoted, but they fell because the country was in an economic recession and there was no investment in a huge number of front-line services as the money was not there. The good news is that the investment has started again, there is new recruitment right across the service and areas like the Deputy's will be among those to benefit as the recruits come out of Templemore and as those numbers are higher than the numbers retiring. We will then be in a position to ensure that a broad range of areas receive more gardaí. That is extremely important.

Margaret Murphy O'Mahony (Cork South West, Fianna Fail)
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In some instances, towns with a station that is regarded as functioning is in fact managed from a central station in a larger town, which is not acceptable. A stronger presence is needed on the ground in west Cork, particularly at weekends. Drug availability is on the increase in west Cork as it is in other areas. Many people were previously insulated from drugs but this is no longer the case. Extra resources are needed to curb this problem. Obviously, the availability of drugs is married to the increase in anti-social behaviour and crime rates. It is critical we see new recruits coming to west Cork and that the stations that survived the Government's cull in 2012 and 2013 receive an additional Garda presence. I ask the Minister to keep her eye on that because I assure her that I will.

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I take the Deputy's point. Decisions were taken on the best way to provide policing in this country and stations were closed. However, the key point is that it was the Deputy's party which presided over the economic recession that led to the decision to close Templemore. That is the reality of the situation. Fianna Fáil closed Templemore and I opened it. The Government is investing. The Deputy's party stopped investing. Having made that point, I want to assure the Deputy that the best way forward to ensure that communities like her one receive community policing is by continued investment in An Garda Síochána and by proper allocation based on the need in a given area. It should not any other criteria or because somebody decides somebody should be placed in a particular area but should be based on the objective criteria of the needs of an area. The Deputy makes the case very well for her area in west Cork and I have no doubt that the points she made about drugs, the need for community policing and so on are accurate. There is no doubt that when the Garda Commissioner and the management of An Garda Síochána are allocating personnel, they will see to it that the needs of the Deputy's area are met as well as others.