Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 252: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the percentage of gardaí on duty at any particular time who are on patrol in public areas; the percentage of these on foot patrols; the percentage on vehicular patrols; the figures for the above in relation to the national total and for each Garda division; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12318/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I have been informed by the Garda authorities, which are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the personnel strength of 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. The Garda Síochána operates a three relief roster system where three out of four units work in any 24-hour period, with the fourth unit resting in the same 24-hour period. Garda management states that for security and operational reasons it is not Garda policy to disclose the number of gardaí on duty in any area at any given time.

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 first incremental increase of newly attested gardaí under the programme of accelerated recruitment took place on 15 March 2006. The Garda Commissioner will now be drawing up plans on how best to distribute and manage these additional resources.