Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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87. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if the Garda Commissioner is required to produce service level agreements; if so, the role population figures, existing crime rates and so on play in determining the resource allocation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31473/16]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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101. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the principles and the reasons underlying Garda staffing deployment across the country; the process by which gardaí are deployed; the reason Garda numbers per head of population vary so much between different Garda divisions; if the current deployment of gardaí accurately reflects any specific centrally co-ordinated deployment plan; the process by which the annual police plan is developed between her Department and An Garda Síochána; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31608/16]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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105. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the factors which are taken into consideration when the annual policing plan is being prepared; if population growth trends and projections across the country that have been taken into account when previous policing plans have been prepared, especially with regard to the geographical distribution of gardaí; when she expects the next policing plan to be presented to her; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31612/16]

Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
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121. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason redistribution of garda personnel in order that areas with disproportionately low number of gardaí relative to their populations will have an increase in garda personnel has not been among her police priorities; her plans to make this one of her police priorities for the 2016 and 2017 year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31682/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 87, 101, 105 and 121 together.

The levels of service to be provided by the Garda Síochána are set out each year in the annual policing plan. The independent Policing Authority is required under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (the Act), as amended, to determine priorities and targets for the Garda Síochána in performing its functions relating to policing services. In developing the policing priorities for 2017 the Authority has had regard to the programme for Government, the Strategy Statement for An Garda Síochána 2016-2018, the Garda public attitudes survey, consultation with the Garda Síochána, concerns expressed by members of the public and civil society and in the media, and priorities for previous and comparator policing plans.

The Deputy will be aware that the Commissioner published An Garda Síochána's Modernisation and Renewal Programme 2016-2021 on 9 June 2016. The Programme is the Commissioner's response to the recognised demand for reform from both inside and outside the Garda organisation. Its implementation will result in a restructured organisation to ensure it can meet present and future policing and security challenges. It is anticipated that implementation of the Modernisation and Renewal Programme will feature amongst the policing priorities for 2017 and will address the issues around garda deployment which the Deputy raises in her question.

In response to the Deputy's question on the process for developing the annual policing plan I can advise that this is clearly set out in Section 22 of the Act. When producing her policing plan, the Commissioner is required to have regard to the priorities determined by the Policing Authority. The Authority shall then, with my consent, approve the plan and send a copy to me to be laid before the Houses of the Oireachtas. It is expected the Policing Plan for 2017 will be received by my Department in early December for my consent.

Separately, the Garda Inspectorate is commencing a review to examine the dispersement and use of resources available to the Garda Síochána in the delivery of policing services to local communities and to make recommendations to provide a more effective, visible and responsive policing service. This review will consider demographic changes and is being overseen by the Policing Authority.

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. I am assured by the Garda Commissioner that personnel assigned throughout the country, together with the overall policing arrangements and operational strategies are continually monitored and reviewed. Such monitoring ensures that optimum use is made of resources and the best possible policing service is provided to the general public. In regard to the deployment of Garda personnel, a distribution model is used which takes into account all relevant factors including population, crime trends and the policing needs of each individual Division. It is the responsibility of the Divisional Officer to allocate personnel within his/her Division as appropriate.

Finally, I would like to draw the Deputy's attention to the significant resources that have been made available to the Garda Síochána under the Government's Capital Plan 2016 - 2021 which will help facilitate the Commissioner's Modernisation and Renewal Programme. In particular, some €205 million for Garda ICT and €46 million for new Garda vehicles has been allocated over the lifetime of the plan. The Government has approved a Five Year Reform and High Level Workforce Plan for An Garda Síochána which has as its centrepiece a vision of a police service comprising 15,000 gardaí, 4,000 civilians and 2,000 reserves.