John Curran (Dublin Mid West, Fianna Fail)
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Question 417: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of Garda juvenile liaison officers employed; the funding allocated for them; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12045/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that as of 8 April 2005 there were 86 juvenile liaison officer, JLO, gardaí and eight JLO sergeants working in the various divisions throughout the country. In addition to this the National Juvenile Office has a staff of one superintendent, two inspectors and two sergeants.

I refer the Deputy to my reply on 12 April 2005 to Question No. 108 from Deputy Quinn, which sets out more comprehensive details in this matter.

The 2005 budget for the Garda Síochána is over €1.1 billion. The national juvenile office is one of four constituent elements that make up the national community relations section. As the annual budget for the national community relations section is not divided between the four units it is not possible to determine the 2005 budget for the national juvenile office. The provisional operational budget allocated to the national community relations section for 2005 amounts to approximately €2.75 million.

Certain expenditure items such as the provision of motor vehicles, information technology and other support services are accounted for on a centralised national basis. In addition, the salary costs of the 86 JLO gardaí and eight JLO sergeants working in the various divisions throughout the country are accounted for centrally within the Garda Vote and are not reflected in the above figure of €2.75 million. Consequently, it is not possible to provide budget details on an individual Garda unit basis for those additional nationally provided services.

On Garda resources generally, the Deputy will be aware that the Government has approved my proposal to increase the strength of the Garda Síochána to 14,000 members on a phased basis, in line with the An Agreed Programme for Government commitment in this regard. This is a key commitment in the programme for Government, and its implementation will significantly strengthen the operational capacity of the force.

The Commissioner will now be drawing up plans on how best to distribute and manage these additional resources, and in this context due consideration will, inter alia, be given to the resourcing of the juvenile liaison scheme. Clearly, the additional resources will be targeted at the areas of greatest need, as is envisaged in the programme for Government. The programme identifies in particular areas with a significant drugs problem and a large number of public order offences, but it will be possible to address other priorities as well, such as the need to very significantly increase the number of gardaí allocated to traffic duties as part of the new Garda traffic corps. I have already promised that the additional gardaí will not be put on administrative duties. They will be put directly into frontline, operational, high-visibility policing. They will have a real impact.