James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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16. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí stationed in each county broken down in ranks, in tabular form; the number of Garda cars and motorbikes in County Wexford; the number of gardaí per population based on the preliminary 2016 census figures; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [24430/16]

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 resources including personnel and vehicles among the Garda Regions, Divisions, and Districts and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter.

Garda management keeps the distribution of personnel under continuing review taking into account crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the best possible use is made of these resources. I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that on 31 July 2016, the latest date for which figures are readily available, there were 12,886 members assigned to An Garda Síochána. The breakdown by rank and Division is set out in the following table. There were also 798 Garda Reserves and over 2,000 Garda civilians available to Commissioner.

Decisions in relation to the provision and allocation of Garda vehicles are a matter for the Garda Commissioner in the light of her identified operational demands and the availability of resources. The allocation of Garda vehicles is monitored and reviewed on a continual basis by the Garda authorities to ensure the best match with operational requirements. The allocation of patrol vehicles in the Wexford Division on 14 September is as set out in the following table.

The preliminary 2016 Census figures are available from the Central Statistics Office at www.cso.ie.

Divisional Strengths as of 31 July 2016

Cars & Motorcycles allocated to the Wexford Division on the 14^thSeptember 2016