Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 219: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of gardaí assigned to each division in County Cork; the population per Garda division; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24568/07]

Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 220: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of community gardaí assigned to each division in County Cork; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24569/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 219 and 220 together.

As of 30 September last, the latest date for which figures are readily available, the number of Gardaí and Community Gardaí in each Garda Division in Cork are as set out in the table.

In addition, 3 members are assigned on a temporary basis to the Garda Districts of Cobh (1), Mallow (1) and Midleton (1). All Gardaí have a responsibility, inter alia, to be involved in Community Policing issues as they arise.

The Deputy will appreciate that, as with any large organisation, on any given day, the overall strength of the organisation may fluctuate due, for example, to retirements, resignations etc. It is the responsibility of the Garda Divisional Officer to allocate personnel within his or her Division taking everything into account. The situation will be kept under review by the Garda Commissioner and when the next allocation of Probationer Gardaí takes place on the 23 November 2007, the needs of the Southern Region, which includes the Cork Divisions, will be fully considered within the overall context of the needs of Garda Stations throughout the country.

I understand that the Central Statistics Office is currently preparing the Small Area Population Statistics (SAPS) based on the 2006 census. It is not expected that these SAPS figures will be available until mid-November 2007. It is, therefore, not yet possible to provide the population per Garda Division based on the 2006 Census figures.