Vol. 354 No. 12
asked the Minister for Justice if he will examine the possibility of creating a new Garda sub-division in County Kildare with particular reference to north Kildare where the increased population in the towns of Leixlip, Celbridge and Maynooth warrant such a measure and where such action could have a considerable impact on the increase in crime in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
388.
asked the Minister for Justice if he has reconsidered the possibility of providing a Garda station in Leixlip, County Kildare, with a view to combating drug trafficking and other crimes, taking into account the rapidly expanding population; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
Limerick East): I propose to take Questions Nos. 387 and 388 together.
There are no proposals at present for the creation of a new Garda district, or sub-division, in County Kildare or for the establishment of a Garda station at Leixlip but the police needs of the developing areas in the county are being kept under regular review by the Garda authorities.
As I indicated in my reply to Question No. 78 on 14 December 1983, one of the difficulties about establishing a new Garda district is the need for additional manpower on indoor duty at the expense of outdoor operational duty. There is a similar difficulty about the establishment of a new Garda station. Accordingly, before embarking on structural changes or establishing a new station in any area, it is necessary to look at the possibility of providing an improved Garda service for that area by the allocation of additional manpower and other resources within the existing organisational arrangements.
Since the beginning of this year, one extra Garda has been allocated to each of the stations at Celbridge and Maynooth and new communications equipment has been installed at both centres as part of the new national radio network. Final testing of the equipment is at present in progress and the new network is expected to be in operation early in the new year. The current Garda strength at Lucan is 47 as compared with 37 at the end of 1981 and, in addition, part of the area formerly served from the station is now served from the station at Ronanstown which opened in January last.
