Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 437: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the capacity of the Garda driving and training school; and his plans to increase its capacity to take on the work of providing adequate training courses for the planned additional traffic corps appointees in 2006. [4034/06]

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 annual capacity of the Garda driving and training school is as follows:

I have been further informed by the Garda authorities that the staffing levels of the Garda driving and training school are being examined. I should also say that 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 An 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. The strength of the Garda traffic corps will be expanded over the next three years as set out in the following table:

The project to increase the strength of An Garda Síochána to 14,000 is fully on target and will be achieved. The Commissioner will now draw up plans on how best to distribute and manage these additional resources. Clearly, of course, the additional resources will be targeted at the areas of greatest need, as is envisaged in the programme for Government. The programme identifies particular areas with a significant drugs problem and a large number of public order offences but it will be possible to address other priorities, such as the need to 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.