Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Social Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

135. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to supply additional funding to the Garda air support unit; the Garda helicopters that An Garda Síochána currently has; the make, model and year of purchase of the fleet by aircraft; his plans to dispose of these assets and purchase a modern fleet; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [44533/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the allocation of Garda resources in the State and I, as Minister, have no role in relation to the matter.

I would draw the attention of the Deputy to the fact that this is a time of unprecedented investment in An Garda Síochána.

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 to deter crime.  To make this a reality for all, the Government has in place a plan to achieve an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021 comprising 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Reserve members and 4,000 civilians. In this context, among the range of justice measures announced in the Budget, the Government committed to recruiting 800 additional Gardaí in 2018 as well as an additional 500 civilians.

In addition, under the Government’s Capital Plan 2015-2021, significant investment is being made to upgrade the Garda building estate, the Garda fleet and the Garda ICT infrastructure. Indeed, the Plan provides for total investment in Garda capital of over €400 million over the next four years, including an additional €157 million following the mid-term review of the Plan, as well as a major Public Private Partnership project to deliver three new Garda Headquarters in Sligo, Macroom and Clonmel. Further, the Plan is facilitating a major Garda Station and Refurbishment Programme that will benefit over thirty locations around the country. This is in addition to over €100 million being invested in 3 major Garda Headquarters in Dublin, Galway and Wexford.

I am informed that the Garda Air Support Unit was established in September 1997 with the delivery of a Pilatus Britten-Norman BN 2T-4S Defender 4000 fixed wing aircraft and a Eurocopter AS355N Eceuriel helicopter. In 2001 the Unit acquired a second helicopter - a Eurocopter EC 135 T2.  In 2007 the Eceuriel helicopter was replaced by a second EC135 T2+.

The question of prioritising the upgrading or replacement of these craft must be considered by the Commissioner in the context of the above investment and his operational priorities.