Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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217. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to reopen Garda stations which were closed in County Clare in view of the fact that his Department found the resources to reopen the Garda station in Stepaside; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43463/17]

Maurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
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219. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to reopen garda stations which were closed in County Limerick in view of the fact that his Department found the resources to reopen the Garda station in Stepaside; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43469/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 217 and 219 together.

The Deputy will appreciate that the Garda Commissioner is primarily responsible for the effective and efficient use of the resources available to An Garda Síochána and, as Minister, I have no responsibility for these matters. 

As the Deputy will be aware, during 2011 and 2012, An Garda Síochána completed a comprehensive review of its District and station network with the objective of identifying opportunities to introduce strategic reforms to enhance service delivery, increase efficiency and streamline practices within the organisation. The review concluded that a revised District and station network commensurate with the organisation’s resource base would best meet public demand.  In the case of certain stations, many of which were only open part-time and manned by a single Garda, the review determined that resources could be better deployed and more effectively used on the front line if those stations no longer had to be staffed and maintained.  

As a result, the Garda District and Station Rationalisation Programme was implemented, which resulted in the closure of some 139 Garda stations, including 9 in Clare and 8 in Limerick, and the amalgamation of 28 Garda Districts into 14 enlarged Districts. In reaching these conclusions, I understand that Garda management reviewed all aspects of the Garda Síochána policing model, including the deployment of personnel, the utilisation of modern technologies and the overall operation of Garda stations. 

As a result of the Programme, communities have benefited from increased Garda visibility and increased patrolling hours which has enabled An Garda Síochána to deliver an improved policing service to the public.

The Programme for a Partnership Government commits to 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.

I recently published the second interim report of the Garda Commissioner, which recommended that the former Stepaside station in Co. Dublin be reopened on a pilot basis and indicated that, subject to further analysis, the Commissioner is likely to recommend in the final report the inclusion of the former stations at Leighlinbridge, Co. Carlow and Donard, Co. Wicklow in the pilot scheme. If a second station is to be reopened in Dublin, the Report indicates that the Commissioner is likely, subject to further analysis, to recommend that the former station at Rush, Co. Dublin be included in the pilot scheme.

I understand that work is ongoing in An Garda Síochána to finalise the report and that it is expected to be received shortly, at which point it will be brought to Government.

The Deputy will be aware that the Government's focus is on increasing Garda numbers and ensuring that Gardaí are appropriately resourced to protect and serve the community.  In this context, among the range of justice measures announced in the Budget, the Government committed to recruiting 800 additional Gardaí and a further 500 civilians in 2018 together with continued investment of some €6 million in new Garda vehicles in 2018 to ensure that An Garda Síochána has a modern and fit for purpose fleet.

I am informed that in comparison to similar jurisdictions, Ireland is served very well by its ratio of police stations to population:

- Ireland has 564 Garda stations (for approximately 4.7 million people);

- Northern Ireland (2012) had 86 police stations for a population of 1.5 million people;

- Scotland has 340 stations for 5.2 million people.