Ann Phelan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I am replying to this matter on behalf of the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Frances Fitzgerald.

The House will be aware that the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, transport and other facilities throughout the organisation. The Minister has no function in the matter. This allocation of resources is constantly monitored by the Garda Commissioner and her senior management in the context of demographics, crime trends, policing needs and other operational strategies in place on a district,divisional and regional level, to ensure optimum use is made of Garda resources.

Duleek Garda station is in the Meath Garda division. The Minister is aware of concerns about incidents of burglary in rural Ireland and in particular its effects on the most vulnerable in our society, in particular, the elderly. The Minister finds it difficult to fathom how anyone could perpetrate such cowardly crimes against our elderly citizens. Operation Fiacla was set up to combat instances of burglary and related criminality. This operation has proven to be successful nationally, with several thousand arrests and prosecutions for burglary offences.

An Garda Síochána continues to work closely with communities through Community Alert, Neighbourhood Watch and other organisations, to provide expert crime prevention advice and support to communities. The Garda commitment to this approach was underlined in the new guidelines for communities wishing to set up community crime prevention schemes which were launched by the Commissioner and the then Minister for Justice and Equality in 2013. That work is ongoing with respect to the establishment and revitalisation, where appropriate, of a number of community alert schemes as part of overall crime prevention strategies. As I have stated, decisions relating to the provision and allocation of Garda resources, including personnel and vehicles, are a matter for the Garda Commissioner in light of her identified operational demands.

The Minister has been informed by the Commissioner's office that 278 gardaí are assigned to the Meath division, of whom four are assigned to Duleek Garda station which is a sub-district within the district of Ashbourne. When members attached to Duleek Garda station are not on duty, the sub-district is patrolled by gardaí from Laytown Garda station and assisted, as required by the district headquarters station at Ashbourne. Local Garda resources are augmented by the divisional traffic unit, community policing units, detective unit and the regional support unit, where necessary, to meet the service demand. Residents in Duleek are assured of a 24-hour response to calls for assistance. All non-999 or 112 calls are diverted to Ashbourne Garda station, which is open and manned on a 24-hour basis. All 999 or 112 calls are received at the divisional control room at Navan Garda station and passed to the appropriate patrols on duty.

Last September this Government oversaw the first recruitment of new gardaí since 2009. The Garda College was reopened for new recruitments and the Government is committed to not letting it close again. To date, 300 new recruits have entered the Garda College, with the first of these to join the force as sworn members in May. The Minister is happy to confirm that she has received sanction from the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin, for the recruitment of a further 250 new gardaí over the coming months. She promised seamless ongoing recruitment and she is delivering on this promise. The additional recruitment will bring to 550 the total number of gardaí that will have been recruited by this Government between September 2014 and October 2015. It signifies the determination of the Government and the Minister to deliver an effective, responsive police service to protect our communities.

Responsibility for the efficient deployment of Garda vehicles in each division is assigned to the divisional officer, who may allocate vehicles between stations, as required by operational circumstances. The Senator will appreciate that a degree of flexibility in allocating and re-allocating vehicles among stations is essential to the efficient management of the Garda fleet. The Minister recently secured a further €10 million for investment in the Garda fleet of which €7 million was made available in 2014. This funding brings the total investment in the Garda fleet in 2014 to €11 million. The remaining €3 million is being made available for the purchase and fit-out of additional Garda vehicles in 2015. In October 2014 an order was placed for 370 new vehicles. These vehicles were delivered towards the end of 2014 and following fit-out are being deployed in accordance with the Garda Commissioner's operational requirements. The Minister has been advised that the needs of the area referred to will be fully considered when new Garda vehicles are being allocated.

The Government, the Minister and the Garda Commissioner are committed to putting in place the necessary resources, systems and operations to support the effective delivery of the best possible policing and security services not just for Duleek and the Meath division but for all of our communities across the country.