Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The deployment of vehicles will be based on decisions made by the Garda Commissioner and those working at divisional level regarding the operational requirements in particular areas. I want to leave it to those who are expert in policing to make those decisions and to do it with the flexibility necessary because the world changes in a policing context. We go through periods when particular communities have identifiable difficulties and then when they are addressed, there are difficulties in other communities. That is a matter for the Garda Commissioner.

I noted with some interest earlier in the year that dire predictions were being made as to what the position would be regarding the fleet in An Garda Síochána and concerns were expressed that we would not be acquiring additional vehicles that were required. It was always intended that when we effected savings, we would purchase additional vehicles. We are in a different resource environment than in the early 2000s when the then Government was flathúlach in throwing money at everything. We have to do this carefully and in a financially wise way but I am anxious to ensure that the Garda maintains its operational effectiveness, that it has the flexibility it needs to deal with local, petty, organised and subversive crime - the whole range - and that it co-ordinates, interacts and interfaces, especially in rural Ireland with Community Alert schemes that do so much fantastic work.

Modernising the fleet and acquiring additional vehicles to replace those that are going out of service and getting better vehicles and a greater diversity of vehicles is important. These are all issues being addressed in the context of the purchase of these 170 vehicles. I have got the greatest faith in the Garda Commissioner and those working with him to make the appropriate decisions as to where they are deployed.

It is appropriate to use this opportunity to congratulate the Garda Commissioner and wish him well. I made an announcement a few hours ago to confirm a Government decision made in Cabinet this morning. The Commissioner would have completed his term in the Garda force at the end of July or early August next, having been appointed Commissioner in December 2010. The Cabinet agreed this decision because of the very effective job he is doing, the great insights he brings to it and because of his commitment to reform and to the appropriate and careful use of resources.

I also point to the great effectiveness of the Garda force in substantially reducing crime levels across a broad range of areas in the past 18 months and to the special operations in which it has been engaged, particularly in tackling burglary which has become an increasing difficulty across parts of the country. Operation Fiacla has produced an extraordinary result. Since the beginning of February last there have been 2,500 arrests and more than 1,400 charges taken against individuals engaged in burglaries, some individuals having been engaged in multiple burglaries across the country. The Garda Commissioner has been asked to stay on for an additional two years from August when he would have otherwise retired. He will remain heading up the force and I wish him well in continuing to do that. I thank him for his service and patriotism and look forward to continuing to work with him. I publicly apologise for giving him an additional two years before he has the opportunity to have a somewhat more relaxed life-----