Trevor Sargent (Dublin North, Green Party)
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Question 66: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on the fact that at the end of 2005 there will be less gardaí relative to the population of the State than in each of the previous five years; his plans to rectify same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35751/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I have been informed by the Garda authorities, which are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the personnel strength of the Garda Síochána at the end of each year from 2000-2004, inclusively, and as at 19 November 2005 is as set out in the following table.

The last rainbow Government allowed the number of gardaí to fall from 10,827 to 10,804 and neither Labour, Fine Gael nor the Green Party gave any commitment to increase the level in 1997 or 2002. Indeed, they criticise my proposal to increase the force to 14,000. The 2002 census of population calculated the national population at 3,917,203, giving a police:population ratio of 1:329. In 1996, the police:population ratio was calculated at 1:336.

As I publicly stated when announcing Government approval for my proposals in October 2004, the phased increase in the strength of the Garda Síochána to 14,000 will lead to a combined strength, of both attested gardaí and recruits in training, of 14,000 by the end of 2006, with a fully attested strength of 14,000 by 2008. As part of the accelerated recruitment campaign to facilitate this process, 1,125 Garda recruits were inducted to the Garda college this year and it is intended to induct 1,100 for the next two years, by way of intakes to the Garda college of approximately 275 recruits every quarter. I should add that this accelerated recruitment process is fully on target.

I am fully aware of population increases over recent years and the proposal to increase the strength of the force to this level took full cognisance of — and indeed was in considerable part motivated by — projected population increases. Taking into account projected population increases, the increase in the force strength to 14,000 members will yield a very significant improvement in the police:population ratio.