Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 179: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when the 2000 extra gardaí promised in the general election of 2002 are likely to be deployed; the specific locations to which they are to be posted; when they will take up duty; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9978/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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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's 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, with a fully attested strength of 14,000 by 2008.

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. 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 Síochána will take place on 16 March. On that day some 270 trainees will be attested to the force, a figure that provides concrete proof that the project to increase the strength of the Garda Síochána is fully on target and will be achieved.

The Garda Commissioner will now be drawing up plans on how best to distribute and manage these additional resources. Clearly, 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 as well, such as the need to very 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.