Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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300. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to provide additional resources, personnel and vehicles to Crumlin village Garda station, Dublin 12; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6764/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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One of the primary functions of the Garda Commissioner under the Garda Síochána Acts is to direct and control An Garda Síochána. The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel and vehicles, among the Garda Regions, Divisions, and Districts. Garda management keeps 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.

The Deputy will appreciate that, as with any large organisation, on any given day the number of Gardaí assigned to any station may fluctuate due, for example, to promotion, transfer, retirements and resignations. However, I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the personnel strength of Crumlin Garda Station on the 31 December 2014, the latest date for which figures are readily available, was 94. There are also eight Garda Reserves and eight civilians attached to the Station.

As the Deputy will be aware, 100 new recruits entered training at the Garda College in Templemore in September 2014, the first intake of Garda recruits since 2009. This was followed by an intake of a further 100 new recruits in December and another 100 last week. This has brought the number of recruits in the Garda College to 300 and is a measure of this Government's commitment to the Garda Síochána. The first intake of recruits will attest as members of An Garda Síochána in May of this year and will be assigned to Garda Stations by the Garda Commissioner. The Garda Commissioner, will of course, continue to keep the needs of Crumlin Garda Station under review within the overall context of the needs of Garda Stations throughout the country.

With regard to additional vehicles, the Deputy will be aware that I recently secured an additional €10 million for investment in the Garda fleet, €7 million of which was made available in 2014, with the remaining €3 million being provided in 2015. The additional investment of €7 million enabled An Garda Síochána to purchase 370 new vehicles towards the end of last year. These vehicles will be allocated to Garda Divisions in line with the Garda Commissioner's operational requirements. Again, I am advised by the Garda authorities that the needs of the Crumlin area will be fully considered when these vehicles are being allocated.