Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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83. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the extent to which she expects the strength of An Garda Síochána to increase over the next three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23061/16]

Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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85. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the total strength of An Garda Síochána at present; the extent to which it is expected to increase Garda numbers over the next 12 months; if particular attention will be paid to areas experiencing an increase in crime when numbers are deployed in the future; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [23063/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 83 and 85 together.

This Government is committed to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and deter crime.

I have been informed that as of the 31 May 2016, the latest date for which figures are readily available there were 12,801 members of An Garda Síochána.

As the Deputy will be aware, when the financial crisis hit, the Government of the time introduced a moratorium on recruitment and the four year National Recovery Plan, published in 2010, envisaged a steady reduction in Garda numbers. Thankfully, in a recovering economy, we were able to reopen the Garda College in September 2014, and a total of 851 Garda trainees have been recruited with a further 350 planned to be recruited during the remainder of this year. So far 534 of the new Garda trainees have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream uniform duties nationwide with another 150 more planned to attest in November.

The Programme for Government, "A Programme for a Partnership Government" commits tocontinuing the ongoing accelerated Garda recruitment programme with a view to increasing Garda numbers to 15,000. Taking account of projected retirements of around 300 this year, the current rate of recruitment will bring Garda numbers to around the 13,000 mark this year. We must, I believe, endeavour to make more rapid progress than this to reach our target of 15,000 and I am engaging with my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, in relation to increasing the planned annual intake in coming years.

In accelerating recruitment it is, of course, essential to ensure that An Garda Síochána has the capacity to train larger numbers without any diminution in the quality of its training programme, and to provide appropriate supervision and support to newly qualified Gardaí to ensure that victims, and the public generally, are well served by their policing service. My officials are also engaging with Garda management as a matter of priority in relation to the preparation of a recruitment plan for the next five years that will deliver increased numbers of Gardaí without any compromise on the quality of those recruited or the training programme.