Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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391. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the extent to which he is satisfied regarding the availability of adequate resources to An Garda Síochána to deal with the threat of gangland criminal activity; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [53081/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Garda strength at the end of October 2013, the latest date for which figures are readily available, was 13,137 members of the full time force, over 1,000 Garda Reserve members and over 2,000 civilian staff.

The Deputy will also be aware that addressing gangland criminality activity remains a key ongoing priority for both the Government and for An Garda Síochána and this is clearly reflected in the Garda Policing Plan for 2013 and in the Programme for Government. In this respect, An Garda Síochána continues to undertake a range of targeted activities designed to disrupt and dismantle the operations of criminal organisations.

This approach involves targeting serious criminals and organised criminal groups on a number of fronts and across all geographical locations, including through the use of focused intelligence led operations by specialist units such as the Organised Crime Unit, the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation and the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation and the work of the Criminal Assets Bureau.

Furthermore, members of An Garda Síochána continue to utilise all available legislation, including the additional legislative provisions introduced by the Oireachtas in 2009 which amended the Criminal Justice Act, 2006 relating to organised crime.

Recent crime statistics show that An Garda Síochána continue to be successful in this work and I commend them on their achievements. I will continue to support An Gardaí Síochána in every way I can, including through maintaining Garda strength at a time of resource constraint and the enhancement of the legislative and operational resources available to the force, for example through the establishment of the new DNA database.