Jim O'Keeffe (Cork South West, Fine Gael)
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Question 726: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if his attention has been drawn to the significant concerns expressed at the downgrading of the Garda station in Glengarriff in west Cork, which is being reduced to a one man station; whether he accepts the ongoing need for a continuing Garda presence in the Glengarriff area; if he recognises the enormous increase in population in that area during the tourist season; and if he will discuss with the Garda Commissioner arrangements to restore Garda strength in Glengarriff. [15229/06]

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 March 2006 was 12,439. This compares with a total strength of 10,702, all ranks, as at 30 June 1997 and represents an increase of 1,737, or 16.2%, in the personnel strength of the force during that period.

I have been further informed that the personnel strength of Glengarriff Garda station as at 25 April 2006 was one sergeant and one garda. Garda management states that there is no proposal to downgrade Glengarriff Garda station. It will remain as a sub-district station and there will be personnel attached to it.

It is the responsibility of the divisional officer to allocate personnel within his or her division in order to provide the best possible service to the public throughout his or her division. In this regard, personnel assigned throughout the division together with the overall strategic and operational strategy are continually monitored and reviewed.

Garda personnel assignments throughout the country, together with overall policing arrangements and operational strategy, are continually monitored and reviewed. Such monitoring ensures that optimum use is made of Garda resources and that the best possible Garda service is provided to the general public.

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 Glengarriff Garda station will be given full consideration.