Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 300: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of Gardaí in County Wicklow; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9529/08]

Billy Timmins (Wicklow, Fine Gael)
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Question 301: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of Gardaí in each county; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [9530/08]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 300 and 301 together.

I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the personnel strength of each Garda Division on 31 January, 2008 (the latest date for which figures are readily available) was as set out in the table hereunder:

The Deputy will appreciate that, as with any large organisation, on any given day, personnel strengths of individual divisions may fluctuate due, for example, to promotions, retirements and transfers.

It is the responsibility of the Garda Commissioner to allocate personnel throughout the Force taking everything into account. The next allocation of Probationer Gardaí is due to take place on 13 March next. In that regard, the needs of each Garda Division will be fully considered by the Commissioner within the overall context of the needs of Garda Divisions throughout the country.

The Deputy should be aware that Garda Divisional boundaries and County boundaries are not coterminous. I recently approved the 2008 Garda Annual Policing Plan and laid it before the Houses of the Oireachtas. It sets out the Commissioner's proposals to realign the boundaries of Garda Divisions around the country to make them coterminous with local authority boundaries. The planned changes will bring about greater efficiencies and effectiveness in facilitating the establishment and functioning of Joint Policing Committees. A detailed programme of work is currently being developed by An Garda Síochána to implement these planned changes for various Garda Divisions. This programme of work will also examine the geographical areas of district and sub-district stations arising from the regional and divisional boundary realignments set out in the plan and will set out a timetable for the establishment of the new divisions.