Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 890: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of gardaí allocated to the special drugs units in the Carlow Kildare, Louth Meath and Wicklow garda units; the plans he has to increase these numbers; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30251/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that as of 31 August 2008, the latest date for which figures are readily available, the personnel strength of the Drugs Units attached to Carlow/Kildare, Louth, Meath and Wicklow Garda Divisions was as set out in the following table. The Deputy will appreciate that, as with any large organisation, on any given day, personnel strengths of individual stations 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 situation will be kept under review and when additional personnel next become available the allocation of Gardaí to Divisional Drugs Units will be fully considered by the Commissioner within the overall context of the needs of Garda Divisions throughout the country.

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 891: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of gardaí allocated to each station in County Kildare; the plans he has to increase this number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30252/08]

Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 892: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of community gardaí here; the number stationed in County Kildare; the Garda stations at which they are stationed; the plans he has to increase the number of gardaí; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30253/08]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 891 and 892 together.

I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that as of 31 August 2008, the latest date for which figures are readily available, the personnel strength of the Carlow/Kildare Division was 364 broken down as follows:

I am also informed that as of 31 August 2008 there were 697 members of the Force attached to Community Policing and of these, 4 members are attached to the Carlow/Kildare Division based in Naas Garda Station. It is of course the case that all Gardaí have a role to play in addressing community policing issues as and when the need arises. In that sense, community policing involves far more than a single unit within the Garda Síochána, and I agree with the view of the Garda Inspectorate, expressed in its most recent report, that community policing is a fundamental policing philosophy and that there is a strong foundation for it in Ireland.

The Deputy will be aware that the 2008 Garda Annual Policing Plan sets out the Commissioner's proposals to realign the boundaries of Garda Divisions around the country to make them coterminous with local authority boundaries. Included in this is a plan to establish a new Garda Division in Kildare. 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.