Tony Gregory (Dublin Central, Independent)
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Question 247: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of community gardaí in Cabra Garda station; and if in view of the imminent increase in population from new areas (details supplied); when the community Garda section will be brought to full strength of one sergeant and eight gardaí. [13785/06]

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 of the community Garda unit at Cabra Garda station as at 4 April 2006 was one sergeant and four gardaí.

It is the responsibility of Garda management to allocate personnel throughout and within divisions on a priority basis in accordance with the requirements of different areas. The allocation of such resources is determined by several factors including demographics, administrative functions, crime trends and other operational policing needs.

Garda management states that it will continue to appraise the policing and administrative strategy employed in the Cabra sub-district with a view to ensuring that an effective Garda service is maintained.

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 draw up plans on how best to distribute and manage these additional resources, and in this context the needs of the Cabra Garda station will be fully considered within the overall context of the needs of Garda stations throughout the country.