Written answers
Thursday, 10 November 2005
Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform
Garda Strength
5:00 pm
Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context
Question 196: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the strength of numbers of the Garda Síochána; the number of members in each grade and the areas in which they are located; the number of students in Templemore College; and if there are any students currently being recruited; if so, the number of same. [33679/05]
Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context
I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the personnel strength of the Garda Síochána, all ranks, as at 8 November 2005 was 12,309. I have been further informed by the Garda authorities that the personnel strength, by rank, of each operational Garda division as at 8 November 2005 was as set out in the table as follows:
| Division | AC | CS | SU | IN | SG | GD |
| Carlow-Kildare | — | 1 | 4 | 4 | 53 | 270 |
| Cavan-Monaghan | — | 1 | 6 | 6 | 65 | 291 |
| Clare | — | 1 | 4 | 3 | 40 | 220 |
| Cork City | 1 | 1 | 5 | 13 | 95 | 499 |
| Cork North | — | 1 | 4 | 3 | 42 | 195 |
| Cork West | — | 1 | 5 | 4 | 40 | 198 |
| D.M.R. Eastern | — | 1 | 4 | 14 | 75 | 473 |
| D.M.R. North Central | — | 1 | 5 | 17 | 90 | 550 |
| D.M.R. North | — | 1 | 3 | 15 | 91 | 513 |
| D.M.R South Central | — | 1 | 4 | 19 | 88 | 613 |
| D.M.R. South | — | 1 | 5 | 13 | 76 | 483 |
| D.M.R. West | — | 1 | 4 | 16 | 88 | 586 |
| Donegal | — | 1 | 5 | 6 | 68 | 345 |
| Galway West | 1 | 1 | 5 | 8 | 55 | 303 |
| Kerry | — | 1 | 4 | 3 | 45 | 213 |
| Laois-Offaly | — | 1 | 4 | 4 | 47 | 224 |
| Limerick | — | 1 | 5 | 10 | 71 | 397 |
| Longford-Westmeath | 1 | 1 | 4 | 5 | 39 | 198 |
| Louth-Meath | — | 1 | 8 | 7 | 81 | 429 |
| Mayo | — | 1 | 6 | 2 | 44 | 205 |
| Roscommon-Galway | — | — | 5 | 3 | 44 | 196 |
| Sligo-Leitrim | 1 | 1 | 4 | 6 | 46 | 210 |
| Tipperary | — | 2 | 5 | 4 | 52 | 252 |
| Waterford-Kilkenny | 1 | 1 | 6 | 8 | 52 | 280 |
| Wexford-Wicklow | — | 1 | 5 | 3 | 51 | 252 |
| AC — Assistant Commissioner | ||||||
| CS — Chief Superintendent | ||||||
| SU — Superintendent | ||||||
| IN — Inspector | ||||||
| SG — Sergeant | ||||||
| GD — Gardaí |
Garda management states that there are currently 581 students undergoing training at the Garda College in Templemore. There have been four intakes of 275 Garda recruits per intake so far this year. There are currently 549 recruits at phase II of their training. This means that a total of 1,130 Garda recruits are in training at present.
The current student-probationer education, training and development programme course consists of five separate but integrated phases. Phase I — 20 weeks — phase III — 16 weeks — and phase V — four weeks — of the training programme are conducted at the Garda College with the exception of the final four weeks of phase III which are delivered at operational training stations. Phase II — 22 weeks — and phase IV — 38 weeks — are conducted at designated operational training stations. Garda trainees are attested to the force on successful completion of phase III of their training. On attestation, Garda trainees become serving members of the force. Formal graduation takes place following the completion of the fifth and final phase of training.
I might add that the accelerated recruitment campaign of 1,100 Garda recruits each year to reach a force strength of 14,000, in line with the commitment in an Agreed Programme for Government, is fully on target. This will lead to a combined strength, of both attested gardaí and recruits in training, of 14,000 by the end of 2006. The Garda Commissioner will now be drawing up plans on how best to distribute and manage these additional resources, and in this context the needs of the Garda Síochána will be fully considered.
No comments