Written answers

Tuesday, 21 March 2006

Department of Justice, Equality and Law Reform

Garda Deployment

8:00 pm

Photo of Willie PenroseWillie Penrose (Westmeath, Labour)
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Question 617: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the steps he will take to investigate the reason a person made a decision to reduce the Garda manning level at Ballymore Garda station in County Westmeath from its normal complement of two gardaí to one; if he is satisfied with the level of Garda numbers being allocated to rural areas; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10280/06]

Photo of Michael McDowellMichael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I have been informed by the Garda authorities, responsible for the detailed allocation of resources including personnel, that the personnel strength of Ballymore Garda station as at 20 March 2006 was two, all ranks.

Garda management states 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 several 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 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. 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 Ballymore Garda station will be fully considered in the overall context of the needs of Garda stations.

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