Dinny McGinley (Donegal South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 188: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of gardaí stationed in the Letterkenny division during 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8469/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I presume the Deputy is referring to the Letterkenny Garda district in the Donegal division. I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the personnel strength — all ranks — of the Letterkenny Garda district as at 31 December 1997, 2000 and 2002 to 2005, inclusively, was as set out in the following table.

The decrease shown in Garda personnel assigned to the Letterkenny district reflects the fact that the necessity for the large Garda presence in the Border counties has significantly diminished since the Good Friday Agreement. The allocation of resources within the Donegal division is a matter for the local divisional officer, who takes into account a number of factors including population, crime trends and the operational policing needs of the division. 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 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. In this regard, I am informed by the Garda authorities that the first incremental increase of newly attested gardaí due to the programme of accelerated recruitment into the Garda will take place on the 16 March 2006. The Garda Commissioner will draw up plans on how best to distribute and manage these additional resources, and in this context the Letterkenny Garda district will be fully considered within the overall context of the needs of Garda divisions throughout the country.