Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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119. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the current strength of the Garda Reserve; and the estimated full year cost of increasing it to 2,500. [11626/17]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that as of 31 January 2017, the latest date for which figures are readily available, the strength of the Garda Reserve is 690 members. The Government is committed to increasing the strength to 2,000 by 2021 and Budget 2017 provides funding for the recruitment of 300 Reserves this year.

Uniform costs for the recruitment of an additional 1,800 Reserves to bring the overall strength to 2,500 would amount to an estimated €2.3 million. Costs would also arise in relation to the provision of training. However, as the cost of training both Garda recruits and members of the Reserve is subsumed into the overall training costs of the Garda College the costs associated with the Reserve are not easily identifiable.

Further costs would arise on an ongoing basis from the payment of an annual allowance of €1,000 as a contribution to the expenses of those Reserves who perform 208 hours service and from reimbursing Reserves for expenses incurred while attending court in respect of their service as a Reserve.