Written answers

Wednesday, 28 September 2016

Department of Justice and Equality

Garda Deployment

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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113. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the extent to which the policing requirements in County Kildare continue to be reviewed with a view to ensuring early response to the general public in times of stress; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [27755/16]

Photo of Frances FitzgeraldFrances 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 among the various Garda Divisions and Districts, and I as Minister have no direct role in the matter. 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. Such monitoring ensures that optimum use is made of Garda resources, and the best possible Garda service is provided to the general public.

I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the Garda strength of the Kildare Division, on the 31 August 2016, the latest date for which figures are readily available, was 314. There are also 26 Garda Reserves and 26 civilians attached to the Kildare Division. When appropriate, the work of local Gardaí is supported by a number of Divisional Units such as the Traffic Unit, Burglary Response Unit and the Scenes of Crime Unit and also from the Garda national units such as the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation (NBCI), the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (formerly the Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation) and the Drugs and Organised Crime Unit. The needs of each Division are fully considered within the context of the overall policing needs of the State.

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. Key to achieving this goal is the commitment in the "Programme for a Partnership Government" to continue the ongoing accelerated Garda recruitment programme with a view to increasing Garda numbers to 15,000. Taking account of projected retirements, reaching a strength of 15,000 will require some 3,200 new Garda members to be recruited on a phased basis over the next four years in addition to the 1,200 that will have been recruited by the end of this year since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014. So far 534 recruits have attested as members of An Garda Síochána of whom 25 of these have been assigned to Kildare. Another 150 will attest later this year and will be assigned to mainstream uniform duties nationwide.

In order to continue to ensure seamless ongoing recruitment I was very pleased to announce the commencement of a new recruitment campaign on 8 September. The campaign is being organised by the Public Appointments Service on behalf of the Garda Commissioner. Applications must be made through www.publicjobs.iebefore the closing date for applications on 29 September 2016. The existing recruitment campaign (launched last November) is ongoing and successful candidates will continue to be called from that campaign this year and into next year. It is expected that successful candidates from the new campaign will enter the Garda College from mid-2017. Kildare Division, like all Garda Divisions, will undoubtedly benefit from these resources now coming on stream.

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