Phil Hogan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fine Gael)
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Question 404: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the funding and personnel allocations in respect of Garda numbers for each station in the Thurles district, County Tipperary with particular reference to personnel and funding tackling specifically the drugs problem; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12852/06]

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 strengths, of all ranks, of the Garda Síochána as at 31 December 1997 and 20 March 2006 were 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 that the personnel strength, of all ranks, of each Garda station in the Thurles district of the Tipperary division as at 31 March 2006 was as set out in the following table.

The Garda national drugs unit and local drugs units conduct intelligence-driven operations to target individuals suspected of involvement in the distribution of drugs. Drug units and community policing personnel are engaged in intelligence gathering on individuals and groups suspected of involvement in the sale and distribution of all drugs. There is also targeted patrolling by uniform and plain-clothes personnel of problem areas in order to detect and disrupt persons involved in such activity. There is a divisional drugs unit based in Clonmel which is staffed by seven gardaí, of all ranks. The number is augmented as particular demands require and at present includes an additional two members. All gardaí have responsibility, inter alia, to deal with drug related issues as they arise.

Garda management states that they will continue to appraise the policing and administrative strategy employed in the Tipperary division with a view to ensuring an effective Garda service is maintained. Garda management further states that the projected financial resources required to operate the Tipperary division for 2006 is adequately provided for in this year's Garda budget of over €1.3 billion. It is a matter for local Garda management to identify and evaluate specific operational needs, and assign resources to meet operational requirements.

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, and in this context the needs of the Tipperary division will be fully considered within the overall context of the needs of Garda divisions throughout the country.