Dan Neville (Limerick West, Fine Gael)
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Question 491: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his proposals to augment the Garda station at Newcastle West to deal with serious anti-social behaviour in sections of the town. [3243/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, is a matter for the Garda authorities.

I have been informed by the Garda authorities that the personnel strength of the Garda station at Newcastle West, as at 31 December 2005, was 27, all ranks. Garda personnel assignments, together with overall policing arrangements and operational strategy, are continually monitored and reviewed. Such monitoring ensures that the best possible use is made of existing Garda resources and that the best possible service is provided for the public.

The Garda authorities advise that the situation with respect to Newcastle West Garda station will be kept under review and when additional personnel next becomes available, the needs of this station will be fully considered within the context of the overall needs of Garda stations throughout the country.

In this regard, 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, 1,125 Garda recruits were inducted to the Garda College 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.

The Commissioner will be drawing up plans on how best to distribute and manage these additional resources. 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. One thing I have already promised is 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.