Willie Penrose (Longford-Westmeath, Labour)
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497. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality when a sergeant will be appointed to Kinnegad Garda station, County Westmeath, to replace the sergeant who recently retired; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27298/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel among the Garda Regions, Divisions and Districts. Garda management keep this distribution under continuing review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the best possible use is made of these resources. Generally speaking, I understand that a competition for the promotion of Gardai to Sergeant has recently been completed and the assignment of a Sergeant to the area referred to by the Deputy will be considered by the Commissioner in the context of the operational needs of An Garda Síochána as a whole.

I have however been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the personnel strength of Kinnegad Garda Station on 30 April 2014, the latest date for which figures are readily available, was three Gardaí. Kinnegad Garda Station forms part of the Mullingar Garda District in the Westmeath Garda Division. The personnel strength of Mullingar Garda District and Westmeath Garda Division on the same date was 156 and 245 Gardaí respectively. There are also 15 Garda Reserves and 14 Civilians attached to Mullingar Garda District and there are 25 Garda Reserves and 22 Civilians attached to Westmeath Garda Division.