Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 1124: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of gardaí who form part of the traffic corps; the increase in number of the corps for 2006; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1330/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I have been informed by the Garda authorities that the total number of gardaí allocated to the traffic corps as at 31 December 2005 was 570 — all ranks. While the members of the traffic corps are specifically dedicated to traffic duties, all gardaí have responsibility, to deal, inter alia, with traffic duties as they arise.

As a result of the Government's approval of my proposal to increase the strength of the Garda Síochána to 14,000 members, the Garda Commissioner will be in a position, as each cycle of recruit training is completed, to assign additional new members to the areas of greatest need with particular regard to certain priorities. These priorities will include the traffic corps. Between now and 2008, the traffic corps will increase its numbers to a complement of 1,200 on the following phased basis: 2006, 805; 2007, 1,030; and 2008, 1,200.

The timescale for achieving the target strength of 14,000 members of the Garda Síochána in line with the commitment in an Agreed Programme for Government remains as when I announced the Government approval in October 2004 for my proposals to achieve this objective. 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 this year. As part of the accelerated recruitment campaign to facilitate this process, a total of 1,125 trainee gardaí were inducted into the Garda College to commence training during 2005. The college will induct 1,100 recruits this year and a further 1,100 in 2007, by way of intakes to the Garda College of approximately 275 recruits every quarter. This project is fully on target and will be achieved.