Fiona O'Loughlin (Kildare South, Fianna Fail)
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137. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans for deployment of new recruits into An Garda Síochána; if it will result in the reopening of Garda stations in south Kildare; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31771/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. I am assured by the Garda Commissioner that the allocation of members is continually monitored and reviewed taking into account all relevant factors including crime trends, demographics, and security assessments relating to the area in question so as to ensure optimal use is made of Garda human resources.

I have been informed that on the 30 September 2016, the latest date for which figures are readily available there were 307 Gardaí, 23 Garda Reserves and 26 civilians assigned to the Kildare Garda Division. When appropriate, the work of local Gardaí is supported by a number of 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 National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.

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. In furtherance of this I recently announced that the Government has approved my proposal for an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021 comprising 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Reserve members and 4,000 civilians. In 2017, funding has been provided for the recruitment of 800 Garda recruits and up to 500 civilians to support the wide ranging reform plan in train in An Garda Síochána. Appointments will also be made to the Garda Reserve of approximately 300.

Since the Garda College reopened in 2014 there will have been 1,200 trainee Garda recruited by the end of this year. I am assured by the Commissioner that the needs of all Garda Divisions are fully considered when determining the allocation of newly attested Gardaí and so far 534 recruits have attested as members of An Garda Síochána of which 25 have been assigned to the Kildare Garda Division. 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 of trainee Gardaí I was very pleased to announce the commencement of a new recruitment campaign on last September. The campaign is being organised by the Public Appointments Service on behalf of the Garda Commissioner. The existing recruitment campaign (launched November 2015) 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.

The Deputy will be aware that the Programme for a Partnership Government recognises that community policing is the embodiment of An Garda Síochána, providing a means of recognising that every community, both urban and rural, has its own concerns and expectations. It commits the Government to ensuring visible, effective and responsive policing in every community, including the most minimal response times possible.

Under the Programme, the Government is committed to asking the Policing Authority to oversee a review of, amongst other things, both the boundaries of Garda districts and the dispersal of Garda stations in rural areas. In addition, the Government is committed to launching a pilot scheme to reopen 6 Garda stations, both urban and rural, to determine possible positive impacts that such openings will have on criminal activity, with special emphasis on burglaries, theft and public order and I have asked the Authority to initiate the proposed review.

In relation to the proposed pilot scheme, I have requested the Garda Commissioner, while fully cognisant of her statutory functions in relation to the distribution of Garda resources in the State, to identify for reopening 6 stations that were closed under the Garda Síochána District and Station Rationalisation Programme.