Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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300. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí based in Blanchardstown Garda station; and the number of Garda vehicles available to them in each of the past six years. [13826/18]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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301. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí based in Clondalkin Garda station; and the number of Garda vehicles available to them in each of the past six years. [13827/18]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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302. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí based in Lucan Garda station; and the number of Garda vehicles available to them in each of the past six years. [13828/18]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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303. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí based in Finglas Garda station; and the number of Garda vehicles available to them in each of the past six years. [13829/18]

Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire (Cork South Central, Sinn Fein)
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304. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí assigned to DMR west division of An Garda Síochána; and the number of Garda vehicles available to them in each of the past six years. [13830/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 300 to 304, inclusive, together.

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.

Blanchardstown, Finglas, Clondalkin and Lucan Garda Stations all form part of the Dublin Metropolitan Region (D.M.R) West Division. I am informed by the Commissioner that the strength D.M.R West Division on 31 January 2018, the latest date for which information is readily available, was 667. There are also 26 Garda Reserves and 53 Garda civilian staff attached to the D.M.R. West 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 Armed Support Units, the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.

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 achieve this the Government has put in place a plan for an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021 comprising 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Reserve members and 4,000 civilians. We are making real, tangible progress on achieving this goal.

Since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, just under 1,800 recruits have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream duties nationwide, of whom 155 have been assigned to the D.M.R. West Division. Garda numbers, taking account of retirements, increased to 13,551 at the end of 2017 – a net increase of over 600 since the end of 2016.

I am pleased that funding is in place to maintain this high level of investment in the Garda workforce to ensure that the vision of an overall workforce of 21,000 by 2021 remains on track. This year a further 800 new Garda Recruits will enter the Garda College. Also a further 600 Garda trainees are scheduled to attest during the remainder of the year which will see Garda numbers, taking account of projected retirements, reach 14,000 by the end of 2018.

In addition, a further 500 civilians will also be recruited to fill critical skills gaps across the organisation and to facilitate the redeployment of Gardaí from administrative and technical duties to front-line operational duties. There are plans to strengthen the Garda Reserve with new Reserves expected to commence training in 2018.

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 needed to deploy increasing numbers of Gardaí across every Division, including the D.M.R. West Division.

I am advised by the Garda Commissioner that it is not possible to provide the information request regarding the number of Garda vehicles allocated by Garda station as Garda vehicles are allocated on a District basis so that they can be deployed as needed.

For the Deputy's information, I have provided in the attached document, the number of Gardaí assigned to the D.M.R. West Division and to Blanchardstown, Clondalkin, Lucan and Finglas Garda stations in each of the years from 2012 to 31 January 2018. I have also provided the number of Garda Vehicles assigned to the D.M.R. West Division and associated Districts in each of the years from 2012 to 22 March 2018, the latest date for which figures are currently available.

*Up to 31 January 2018

*Up to 22 March 2018