James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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54. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the closing date for any submissions on the review of the boundaries of the Garda districts and the dispersal of Garda stations. [5044/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that the Garda District and Station Rationalisation Programme was undertaken with the objective of identifying opportunities to introduce strategic reforms to enhance service delivery, increase efficiency and streamline practices within the organisation and concluded that a revised district and station network commensurate with the organisation’s resource base would best meet public demand.

Having said that, the Programme for a Partnership Government commits the Government to ensuring visible, effective and responsive policing in every community, including the most minimal response times possible.

In support of this, the Policing Authority has been asked to oversee a review of, among other things, the dispersal of Garda stations in rural areas, and in developing urban and suburban areas. The Authority has, in accordance with section 117(2) of the Garda Síochána Act 2005, formally requested the Garda Síochána Inspectorate to examine the dispersal 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. The Authority has informed the Inspectorate that the review should take account of:

- the changing environments in rural, developing urban and suburban areas;

- the views of local communities;

- the allocation to and deployment of Garda resources at the local policing level, including the use of the Garda Reserve, Garda facilities and Garda equipment; and

- relevant recommendations made in previous Inspectorate reports.

You will appreciate that both the Policing Authority and the Garda Síochána Inspectorate are statutorily independent in the performance of their functions and, as Minister, I have no role in relation to the review.

I understand, however, that the Inspectorate will be engaging with relevant stakeholders in due course for the purposes of the review.