Written answers

Wednesday, 20 April 2016

Department of Justice and Equality

Garda Deployment

Photo of Tony McLoughlinTony McLoughlin (Sligo-Leitrim, Fine Gael)
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214. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if she will ensure that new Garda recruits will be assigned to the Sligo-Leitrim division, when the next school of Garda recruits pass out of the Garda college in Templemore, County Tipperary, later in 2016; the reason no new recruits were allocated to the same division from the last allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [7404/16]

Photo of Frances FitzgeraldFrances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that the allocation of Garda personnel, including the newly attested Gardaí, to particular areas is a matter for the Garda Commissioner and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. I am assured that Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is made of these resources.

The Deputy will appreciate that it is vital that An Garda Síochána is renewed in order to ensure that it has the capacity to provide effective and visible policing throughout the country. With this objective in mind, there have been seven intakes of Garda Trainees to the Garda College since it was reopened in September 2014 giving a total intake of 700 to date. A further 450 will be taken in during the remainder of 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. So far 395 of the new Garda Trainees have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream uniform duties in communities nationwide. I have been informed that of these 5 have been assigned in the Sligo/Leitrim Division. It is expected that a further 300 trainee Gardaí will attest this year and it will be a matter for the Garda Commissioner to assign them as she considers appropriate. I am assured that the needs of all Garda Divisions are fully considered when determining the allocation of newly attested Gardaí.

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