Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 606: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of gardaí stationed in the Carlow division during 1997, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10205/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I presume that the Deputy is referring to the Carlow-Kildare 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 Garda Síochána as at 31 December 1997 and 20 March 2006 was 10,702 and 12,445, respectively. This represents an increase of 1,743, or 16.3%, in the personnel strength of the Garda Síochána during that period.

I have been further informed by the Garda authorities that the number of gardaí, all ranks, stationed in the Carlow-Kildare division as at 31 December 1997, 2000 and 2002-2005, inclusively, is as set out in the following table.

The personnel strength, all ranks, of the Carlow-Kildare division as at 31 December 1997 and 2005 was 281 and 331, respectively. This represents an increase of 50, or 18%, in the number of Garda personnel assigned to the Carlow-Kildare division over that period.

In addition, the division's resources are further augmented by a number of Garda national units such as the Garda National Immigration Bureau, the Criminal Assets Bureau and other specialised units.

Garda management states that it is the responsibility of each divisional officer to allocate personnel within his or her division at levels, on a priority basis, in accordance with the requirements of different areas in the division. The allocation of such resources throughout the division is determined by a number of factors including demographics, administrative functions, crime trends and other operational policing needs.

The timescale for achieving the target strength of 14,000 members of the Garda Síochána in line with the commitment in the 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. This project is fully on target and will be achieved.

As part of the accelerated recruitment campaign to facilitate this record expansion, 1,125 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 college of approximately 275 recruits every quarter. The first incremental increase of newly attested gardaí under the programme of accelerated recruitment took place on 15 March 2006.

The Garda Commissioner will draw up plans on how best to distribute and manage these additional resources and, in this context, the needs of the Carlow-Kildare division will be fully considered within the overall context of the needs of Garda divisions throughout the country.