Pat Carey (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 461: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of gardaí allocated to Finglas, Ballymun, Santry and Whitehall Garda stations; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8991/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the personnel strength of Finglas, Ballymun, Santry and Whitehall Garda stations as at 28 February, 2006 was as set out in the following table:

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 record expansion, 1,125 Garda recruits were inducted to the Garda college during 2005. The college will induct a further 1,100 recruits this year and again 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 first incremental increase of newly attested gardaí under the programme of accelerated recruitment will take place on 16 March 2006.

The Garda Commissioner will now be drawing up plans on how best to distribute and manage these additional resources, and in this context the needs of the Garda stations referred to by the Deputy will be fully considered within the overall context of the needs of Garda stations throughout the country.