Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 537: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans he has to provide a 24 hour Garda station at Blessington, County Wicklow, in view of the increasing population; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [20998/06]

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 have been further informed by the Garda authorities that the personnel strength of Blessington Garda Station as at the 30th May 2006 was 18 Gardaí (all ranks). The personnel strength of Blessington Garda Station as at the 31st December 1997 was 12 Gardaí (all ranks). This represents an increase of 6 (or 50%) in the number of personnel allocated to Blessington Garda Station since the 31st December 1997.

Blessington Garda Station is the Administrative Area Headquarters for the Ballymore Eustace and Hollywood Garda Stations as part of the rural policing initiative. Blessington Garda Station is open from 10am to 1pm and from 7pm to 10pm Monday to Saturday. On Sundays and Bank Holidays Blessington Garda Station is open from 11am to 1pm and from 7pm to 9pm.

Local Garda Management states that Blessington patrol car is operational for 21-hours of every 24-hour period. The only hours where the Blessington patrol car is not operational is between 4am and 7am when the Baltinglass and Naas District patrol cars patrol the area. The extension of the opening hours of Blessington Garda Station would necessitate the employment of additional personnel on indoor administrative duties who may be more effectively employed on outdoor policing duties.

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 thereafter.

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 Blessington will be given the fullest consideration.