Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 496: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of accidents, injuries and fatalities for the year 2004; the number of Garda speed traps in the year 2004; the cost of providing these speed traps and the revenue generated from penalty points and convictions arising out of said speed traps on the Stillorgan Road. [4967/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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There were 33 material damage, eight non-serious injury, three serious injury and no fatal traffic collisions on the Stillorgan Road in the year 2004. During the same period on the Stillorgan Road, 71 speed operations were conducted.

The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the cost of providing, and revenue arising from, the speed checks is not readily available. The amount of time it would take to compile such information would entail the disproportionate use of resources and could not be justified.

Olivia Mitchell (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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Question 497: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if all additional gardaí being attached to the traffic corps are newly recruited and trained gardaí from Templemore or if some of them are existing members of the force; if so, the breakdown of the allocation of gardaí since the setting up of the traffic corps; and the projected breakdown of the allocation for 2006. [4968/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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Personnel allocated to the Garda traffic corps are selected from existing available resources in each division. Newly appointed gardaí are not allocated to traffic corps duties following completion of the initial training period. The divisional breakdown of the traffic corps at 31 January 2006 is as follows:

While the members of the Garda Síochána assigned to the traffic corps are specifically dedicated to traffic duties, they remain full police officers and, as such, retain the general responsibility for preventing and detecting crime which all members of the Garda Síochána have. Similarly members of the Garda Síochána not members of the traffic corps have the responsibility, inter alia, to deal with traffic duties when breaches of road traffic law occur. Gardaí spend two years training at the Garda college. The focus of such training is on all areas of policing. Garda management will not allow a situation to arise where the establishment of the traffic corps would lead to the gardaí who are members of it having no regard to other policing duties regardless of seriousness if and when they arise in the course of carrying out their duty, and similarly gardaí who are not members not having regard to traffic policing duties. The allocation of Garda resources, including personnel, is the responsibility of the Garda Commissioner.