Vol. 411 No. 4
56 Mr. S. Barrett asked the Minister for Justice if his attention has been drawn to the fact that the new rural policing plan is in danger of collapse due to the severe lack of Garda pesonnel; and if he will make a statement on the matter.
The new rural community policing scheme is not being hampered by a lack of Garda manpower or other resources. In fact, additional manpower resources have been allocated to the 12 Garda districts in which the scheme is operating since 23 September last. These additional manpower resources include the allocation of an extra 11 sergeants and 19 gardaí to the districts in question. Moreover, the allocation of clerical assistants and microcomputers to the newly designated area headquarters Garda stations, together with a reduction in record keeping in smaller Garda stations, has increased the time available to gardaí for outdoor contact with the communities in the districts in which the scheme is operating.
