Peter Burke (Longford-Westmeath, Fine Gael)
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88. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí assigned to Ballymahon Garda station, County Longford; the way in which this compares to the number that are active in the Edgeworthstown area in view of the contrasting levels of headline crimes and burglaries; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32688/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, 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. 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.

At Divisional level it is a matter for the Divisional Officer to determine how best to allocate personnel, so as to ensure the delivery of an effective policing service. Where a deficiency in resources is identified the matter is considered fully and addressed accordingly. As you will appreciate, in order to deliver an effective policing service, it is essential that Garda management have the flexibility to deploy Garda resources to meet operational policing needs and address critical issues as they arise. For this reason, the number of Garda available in any one Garda Station on a particular day is subject to the operational requirements of the overall Division.

Edgeworthstown Garda Station and Ballymahon Garda Station both form part of the Roscommon/Longford Division. I have been informed that the number of Gardaí assigned to the Division on the 31 May 2017, the latest date for which figures are readily available, was 303, of which 11 and 10 members were assigned to Edgeworthstown Station and Ballymahon Station respectively. There are also 9 Garda Reserves and 28 Civilians attached to the Roscommon/Longford 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, the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.The Divisional Drugs Unit and Traffic Corp also carry out patrols in the areas referred to.

I am informed by the Commissioner, since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, that almost 1,200 recruits have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream duties nationwide, 5 of whom were assigned to the Roscommon/Longford Division. I am also informed that a further four hundred are scheduled to attest later this year which will see Garda numbers, taking account of projected retirements, increase to around the 13,500 mark by year end - an increase of 500 since the end of 2016.

This focus on investment in personnel is critical. The moratorium on recruitment introduced in 2010 resulted in a significant reduction in the strength of An Garda Síochána. We are now rebuilding the organisation and providing the Commissioner with the resources she needs to allow her to deploy increasing numbers of Gardaí across the organisation, including the Roscommon/Longford Division.

This investment in personnel is complemented by substantial investment in resources across the board for An Garda Síochána. The Deputy will be aware of the significant resources that have been made available to An Garda Síochána under the Government's Capital Plan 2016 - 2021. In particular, some €205 million in additional funding for Garda ICT and €46 million for new Garda vehicles has been allocated over the lifetime of the plan. This investment will facilitate the provision of more effective policing services and I have no doubt that these new resources now coming on stream will see an increase in Garda visibility in our communities.