Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 October 2004
155 Mr. Crawford asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of gardaí that have retired from the force in each of the past three years and to date in 2004; the number of new gardaí that have been trained in each of the past three years and to date in 2004; if he has satisfied himself that he will reach his target of at least 2,000 extra gardaí within the next two years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [24853/04]
View answerI have been informed by the Garda authorities responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the numbers of gardaí who have left the Garda Síochána due to ill health, retirement, death, dismissal or otherwise, and the number of gardaí who have graduated from the Garda College in each of the past three years and to date in 2004 are as set out in the following table:
|
Year |
No. of gardaí who left the force |
No. who graduated from Garda college |
|
2001 |
322 |
531 |
|
2002 |
406 |
485 |
|
2003 |
417 |
475 |
|
2004 to date |
389 |
363 |
In addition, a further 175 persons will graduate from Garda College later this month, making a total of 538 graduations in 2004.
I am satisfied that the commitment in the programme for Government to increase the strength of the force to 14,000 will be achieved. To that regard the Government, at its meeting earlier this week, considered my proposal to increase the strength of the Garda Síochána to 14,000 and I outlined today, in Garda headquarters, the manner in which that increase will be achieved.
