Emmet Stagg (Kildare North, Labour)
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Question 132: To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of Gardaí in each Garda Division on 31 December 1997 and 30 November 2006. [43473/06]

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 increased to a record 13,000 on Thursday, 16 November, 2006, following the attestation of 299 new members. This compares with a total strength of 10,702 (all ranks) as at 30 June, 1997 and represents an increase of 2,298 (or 21.5%) in the personnel strength of the Force during that period. The induction of 280 new Garda recruits to the Garda College on 6 November, 2006 resulted in a combined strength, of both attested Gardaí and recruits in training, of 14,137. The Garda Budget now stands at €1.3 billion, a 13% increase on 2005 and an 85% increase since 1997 in real terms. I have been further informed by the Garda authorities that the personnel strength of each Garda Division as at 31 December, 1997 and as at 30 November, 2006 was as set out in the table:

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. A total of 1,125 recruits were inducted to the Garda Training College in 2005. The first four groups of newly attested Gardaí under this accelerated recruitment programme came on stream in March, June, September and November of this year. A further 1,114 were inducted to the Garda Training College this year and further tranches of approximately 275 newly attested Gardaí will follow every 90 days hereafter until the programme is complete. The Garda Commissioner will now be drawing up plans on how best to distribute and manage these additional resources.