Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 444: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the strength of the Garda Síochána as of 31 December 2002, 2003, 2004 and 2005. [12186/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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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 further 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 2002 to 2005, inclusive, was as set out in the following table:

The strength of the force rose to a record 12,445 on 15 March 2006 on foot of the first incremental increase of newly attested gardaí under the current programme of accelerated recruitment. This represents an increase of 594 since I took up office in June 2002, when the personnel strength, all ranks, of the Garda Síochána stood at 11,851, all ranks. 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. 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 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 all areas throughout the country will be fully considered.