Ruairi Quinn (Dublin South East, Labour)
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Question 398: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the current and capital costs associated with increasing the Garda staff complement from current numbers by 1,000 and for every 500 thereafter up to 15,500; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [19091/06]

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 An 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 should add that the current recruitment drive to increase the strength of the Garda Síochána to 14,000 members, in line with the commitment in the Agreed Programme for Government, is fully on target. This will lead to a combined strength, of both attested Gardaí and recruits in training, of 14,000 by the end of this year. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the first group of newly attested Gardaí under the accelerated recruitment programme came on stream in March and a further 275 newly attested Gardaí will do so every 90 days from here on in.

The Garda Commissioner will now be drawing up plans on how best to distribute and manage these additional resources.

In addition, the OPW has made a significant investment, in the order of €20m, in the Garda College in Templemore. The primary aim of this investment, coupled with the transfer of certain in-service training to Nenagh, is to provide the college with the capacity to cater for the additional recruits required to bring the Force up to 14,000. The resulting new facilities will serve the College long into the future and ensure that the Force has top class training facilities not just for the immediate future but for the coming years.

As regards costs for the Garda Vote, I am informed by the Garda authorities that allowing for the incremental expansion of the strength of the Force and the training requirements involved, the approximate Garda Vote current and capital costs of increasing the size of the force by 1,000 members are €110 million and €10 million, respectively. The equivalent current and capital costs to the Garda Vote of increasing the force for every 500 members thereafter would amount to approximately €55 million and €5 million, respectively.

Other capital costs that could arise from a future additional expansion in the strength of the Force to 15,500, such as the possible replacement or expansion of Garda Stations to accommodate the greater numbers, are not readily quantifiable at this time.