Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 450: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of gardaí attached to the Limerick city division at the end of January 2006; the number assigned to each Garda station in the division; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4208/06]

Jan O'Sullivan (Limerick East, Labour)
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Question 451: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of new gardaí that will be assigned to the Limerick division following the recent passing out ceremony in Templemore; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4209/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 450 and 451 together.

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 Limerick division as at 31 January 2006 was 483, all ranks. I have been further informed by the Garda authorities that the personnel strength of each Garda station in the Limerick division as at 31 January 2006 was as set out in the following table:

I have been further informed that gardaí are allocated to a permanent station following attestation. Gardaí who are attested are those members who have been sworn in as members of the Garda Síochána upon successful completion of the initial 58-week training period. In that regard, Garda management advises me that the first incremental increase of attested gardaí due to the accelerated recruitment will take place next month — March 2006. In conjunction with the last allocation of probationer gardaí on 28 October 2005, an additional six gardaí were allocated to the Limerick division.

The Deputy will be aware that, 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 year's intakes of 275 student gardaí commenced training on 6 February. The dates of the four intakes for 2006 are as set out in the following table:

The project to increase the strength of the Garda Síochána to 14,000 is fully on target and will be achieved.

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. During future allocations of attested gardaí the needs of the Limerick division will be fully considered within the overall context of the needs of Garda divisions throughout the country.