Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 488: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if there are plans to bring sniffer dogs to County Donegal; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [18039/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I have been informed by the Garda Authorities that the Garda Dog Unit is a national unit based at Kilmainham Garda Station, Dublin Metropolitan Region, under the direction and control of the Assistant Commissioner, National Support Services.

Following the successful evaluation of a pilot scheme to establish a Garda Dog Unit in the Southern Region, the Garda Commissioner, on the 4th April 2008, approved the permanent establishment of a Garda Dog Unit in the Southern Region and remaining regions i.e. South Eastern, Western, Eastern and Northern regions (which includes Co. Donegal).

The preparation of a fully costed business plan in respect of each Region is currently being addressed and, on receipt of financial approval, it is anticipated that a Garda Dog Unit will be established in the remaining four regions by mid 2009 and will comprise a selection of Drug, Explosive and General Purpose dogs.

In the interval, the Garda Dog Unit based in the Dublin Metropolitan Region will continue to perform its national brief and respond to requests for operational assistance throughout the country.

The Revenue's Customs Service also currently deploys 12 detector dogs teams. In addition to performing searches for the Customs Service the detector dog teams are also used in Garda drugs searches, on request. The Sligo-based detector dog team is regularly called out to assist the Gardai in the North West region.

The breakdown of deployment per Revenue region is as follows:

Dublin Region — 6

East/South East Region — 2

South West Region — 3

Border/Midlands/West Region — 1 (based in Sligo)

10 of the detector dogs teams are used for drug detection. One is trained to detect tobacco. In response to the enhanced powers given to Customs in the Proceeds of Crime (Amendment) Act 2005 a cash detector dog team has been deployed.