Seanad Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 30 May 2001

Vol. 166 No. 19

Adjournment Matters. - Garda Stations.

Mrs. Jackman

I ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform if the resources allocated to Henry Street Garda station in Limerick could be used to include the establishment of a Garda station in Castletroy.

I have sent many letters to the Minister regarding the need for a Garda station in Castletroy. In an area where land is at a premium, Limerick County Council has offered a prime site on which a Garda station could be built. It is essential to act on this offer now.

The population in the area of the Castletroy development plan is 22,000. If the scale and pace of residential development continues the population will be even greater. The population of Castletroy is roughly equal to that of Clonmel, where there are more than 50 gardaí, yet there are none in Castletroy. It is the busiest area of the county on midweek and weekend nights. The area has high technology industries and is the second largest area of employment, after Raheen. There is a very large percentage of young people among the population, including a large student population. The students' union and president of the University of Limerick have supported my call for a Garda station. In October next Superquinn will become the anchor tenant of Castletroy shopping centre, adding to traffic in the area.

There have recently been attacks on students in the area. Three students, one male and two female, were attacked, allegedly by attackers armed with a gun and a knife. This is a fairly regular occurrence. Recently a student taking part in an outdoor pursuits activity at an old castle was stoned by youths, fell to the ground and suffered a broken nose. These are not isolated incidents.

I feel the Minister does not listen to me. I hope he is not simply saying that the reserves in Henry Street Garda station can deal with Castletroy. If the Minister reads the newspapers and is aware of what is happening in the Limerick area he knows that Garda resources are required to deal with ongoing feuds in the Limerick area, which are a cause of great concern. The deployment of gardaí in the Limerick area is 100 under strength.

Castletroy cannot be served from Henry Street Garda station, which is five miles away. In the case of attacks on students, by the time gardaí from Henry Street reach Castletroy the per petrators have disappeared. The traffic on the Castletroy Road is intense and the road is one of the slowest traffic arteries in the country. The difficulty of coming to the aid of anyone needing a garda in Castletroy can be imagined.

I will continue to raise this matter until the Minister sanctions a Garda station in Castletroy. Residents, students, the president of the University of Limerick, local gardaí and multinational companies based in the area have joined in this call. The population is now 22,000 and is projected to rise to 25,000. There are 50 gardaí in Clonmel and none in Castletroy. I hope the Minister will give me a positive answer.

Minister of State at the Department of Tourism, Sport and Recreation (Mr. E. Ryan)

On behalf of the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, I welcome this opportunity to set out for the benefit of the House the policing arrangements in the Garda division of Limerick.

First, I will deal with the issue of Garda strength. As the Senator will appreciate, the Minister is responsible for the overall provision of resources to the Garda Síochána, while the Garda authorities are responsile for the detailed allocation of personnel and resources to individual areas.

In respect of overall resources provided to the Garda, the House will be aware that since the Minister has taken office the strength of the force has increased consistently. It has gone up from a figure of 10,800 in 1997, when the Senator's party was in Government, to a current situation where the number of gardaí is now 11,656, the highest ever level. Last year, the Government approved the Minister's proposals for a further Garda recruitment competition which is now under way. This latest recruitment competition will fulfil the comitment in the programme for Government to increase the strength of the force to a new record of 12,000.

As well as increasing the strength of the force, the Minister is also providing additional financial resources. The provision of the Garda Vote when he took office was £457 million. The provision for this year is over £690 million. This is a significant increase by any standards. It can be safely stated that never in the history of the State have more resources been allocated to combating crime, purchasing modern technology and equipment for the Garda Síochána and ensuring that the number of Garda personnel is increased. Never in the history of the State have we had such a major prison building programme to ensure that those convicted of crime serve their sentences.

I now turn to the question of Garda strength in Limerick. The Minister has been informed by the Garda authorities that the manpower strength of the division, as at 29 May 200, is 446. The Minister is further informed that the manpower strength of the division, as at 1 January 1998, was 427. As the Senator can see, there has been an increase of 19 gardaí in the division. The Minister has also been informed that the Garda management is keeping the situation under review and that when additional manpower next becomes available the needs of the division will be fully considered within the overall context of the needs of Garda districts throughout the country.

I would like to comment on some recent developments in the context of resources for Limerick. Limerick is one of ten areas that are included in the first tranche of Garda CCTV systems to be introduced, following the Minister's announcement last November of the expansion of Garda CCTV systems. Tenders have been sought for the supply, installation and commissioning of town centre CCTV systems in Limerick and a number of other locations. It is planned that the system in Lmerick will comprise 23 cameras.

The Minister has asked me to say that he was very pleased to open officially the new Mayorstone Garda station last February. The old Mayorstone station was built in 1965 as a private residence initially and then converted into a shop. It was formally opened as a Garda station in March 1973. The strength of the station then was one sergeant and six gardaí. However, given that seven sergeants and 32 gardaí are now deployed at Mayorstone, a new station was clearly required.

The Senator asks about the provision of a Garda station in Castletroy. The Minister raised this issue with the Garda authorities arising from representations he received in the matter. He has been informed by the Garda authorities that, while acknwledging that Castletroy is a developing area with a large student population, they are of the view that the current policing needs are best addressed by providing resources from Henry Street Garda station. Accordingly, there are no plans for the establishment of a new station in the location in question.

Mrs. Jackman

I would have much to say if I had the opportunity to reply. I am sorry the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform is not here.