Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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670. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda mountain bikes attached to each Garda District within the Tipperary division as of 31 December 2020 and 14 June 2022, in tabular form. [32217/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes the distribution of resources across the various Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no direct role in this matter.

The table below, which has been provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the allocation of mountain bikes by district within the Tipperary Division.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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671. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to parliamentary question No. 629 of 10 May 2022, if she has received the necessary information from the Garda authorities. [32218/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including the recording of traffic offences, collisions and seizures of vehicles. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.

The Road Traffic Act provides for the detention, removal, storage and subsequent release or disposal of a mechanically propelled vehicle. A member of An Garda Síochána may detain a vehicle which is in use in a public place in the following circumstances;

- The person driving the vehicle refuses or fails to produce a driving license or learner permit;

- The vehicle is uninsured under section 56 (1) of the Road Traffic Act 1961, or the Garda is of the opinion that the vehicle is being used uninsured;

- The Garda is of the opinion that the excise duty on the vehicle, if registered in the State, has not been paid for 2 months or more prior to its use;

- The vehicle is, or a member of the Garda Síochána is of the opinion that the vehicle is being so used in contravention of section 18 (1) of the Principal Act;

- The vehicle is, or a member of the Garda Síochána is of the opinion that the vehicle is, being so used in contravention of Regulation 19 (1) of the European Communities (vehicle Testing) Regulation 2004 (S.I. No 771 of 2004); or

- In the case of a vehicle registered in another Member State, the vehicle is, or a member of the Garda Síochána is of the opinion that it is, being so used without proof of passing a roadworthiness test is accordance with Council Directive 96/96/EC of 20 December 1996 which for the time being is in force in respect of the vehicle.

The table below, which has been provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the number of incidents of vehicles detained under Section 41 of the Road Traffic Act 1994 for the years 2020, 2021 and up to 9 May 2022.

I am informed that it is not possible to provide data on the number of vehicles that were either crushed or sold off as a central record does not exist and it would require an inordinate expenditure of Garda time and resources to collate the requested data.

I am advised that figures were collated based on data from PULSE as of 1:30am on 10 May 2022. They are operational and may be liable to change.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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672. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 630 of 10 May 2022, if she has received the necessary information from the Garda authorities. [32219/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I refer to Parliamentary Question 630 for written reply on 10 May 2022 requesting the estimated full year cost if 200 additional prison officers were recruited in tabular form.

The information requested was not readily available at that time and I undertook to respond to you as soon as possible with the relevant information. I am advised by the Irish Prison Service that the estimated full year cost of employing 200 new Recruit Prison Officers (RPO’S), as per the most recent PPC pay scales of 1 February 2022, would be:

These costs reflect premium payments and other allowances such as Operational Allowance (8% of annual salary) and the allocation of up to 360 additional hours as provided for in the Haddington Road Agreement.

The recruitment of Recruit Prison Officers by the Irish Prison Service has been ongoing since 2017, and has regard to such factors as service needs and exit levels from the organisation. I can advise the Deputy that 133 Recruit Prison Officers were recruited in 2021, and to date in 2022 50 Recruit Prison Officers have been recruited.It is envisaged that a further 90 will be recruited throughout the remainder of 2022.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary, Labour)
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673. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí within the Tipperary Garda Diversionl that successfully completed the Garda van course in each of the years 2020, 2021 and to date in 2022, in tabular form. [32220/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes the arrangement of training courses for Garda members. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters. 

The table below, which has been provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the number of Gardaí assigned to Tipperary Division who successfully completed Garda van related driving courses in the years 2020 and 2021, and up to 20 June 2022. I am advised that van personnel training courses are delivered subject to the operational needs of the organisation.