Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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250. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality to outline her plans to ensure a full-time Garda Síochána presence in the Duleek and Donore areas of County Meath; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4992/16]

Thomas Byrne (Meath East, Fianna Fail)
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252. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality to set down the criteria which the Garda Síochána Commissioner uses in allocating gardaí; the reason the number of gardaí in the Ashbourne Garda district of the Meath division is relatively low; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [4994/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 250 and 252 together.

As the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions, and I as Minister have no direct role in the matter. I am assured by the Garda Commissioner that the allocation of Gardaí is continually monitored and reviewed so as to ensure optimal use is made of Garda human resources. As with all other Divisions, the deployment of members of An Garda Síochána and of the Garda Reserve in the Meath Division is considered as part of a distribution model that takes into account all relevant factors including crime trends, demographics, and security assessments relating to the Division in question.

I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the personnel strength of Meath Garda Division as of 31 January 2016, the latest date for which figures are readily available, was 277. The Division is also supported by 33 Garda Reserves and 25 civilians. The number of Gardaí assigned to Ashbourne and Duleek on the 31 January 2016, was 44 and 4 respectively. I have also been informed by the Garda Commissioner that Donore is patrolled by members attached to the neighbouring Drogheda District, which is approximately 6 km away.

Ongoing seamless recruitment to renew An Garda Síochána is crucial to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the capacity to provide effective and visible policing throughout the country. With this in mind Budget 2016 made provision for the recruitment of 600 new Gardaí this year bringing to 1,150 the number of new Gardaí who will have been recruited since the reopening of the Garda College in Templemore in September 2014. To date there have been six intakes of Garda Trainees to the Garda College, giving a total intake of 550 with a further 150 commencing training on 11 April 2016. So far 395 of these new recruits have been fully attested and are undertaking Garda duties in communities nationwide. I am assured by Garda management that the needs of all Garda Divisions are fully considered when determining the allocation of newly attested Gardaí and in this context 15 Probationer Gardaí have been assigned to the Meath Division.