Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 December 2004
53 Mr. Bruton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of years it will take to introduce the proposed 2,000 extra gardaí to the force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32572/04]
View answer71 Mr. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when he expects the 2,000 extra gardaí promised in the programme for Government to be available for duty; if consideration has been given to the particular Garda stations to which they are to be deployed; if attention is likely to be given to areas experiencing high crime levels; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32596/04]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 53 and 71 together.
I am very pleased that the Government has approved my proposal to increase the strength of the Garda Síochána to 14,000 members on a phased basis, in line with a commitment in this regard in An Agreed Programme for Government. This is a key commitment in the programme for Government and its implementation will significantly strengthen the operational capacity of the force.
The new recruitment campaign for the Garda Síochána has already commenced and record numbers of recruits will be taken on. In each quarter, for the next three years, approximately 274 recruits will be taken into the college. If one takes into account the projected number of retirements, one will note that the recruitment process will lead to a combined organisational strength, of both attested gardaí and recruits in training, of 14,000 as early as 2006.
This record recruitment drive will place at the disposal of the Garda Commissioner a significant increase in Garda resources. The commissioner will now draw up plans on how best to distribute and manage these resources. Garda personnel deployments throughout the country, together with overall policing arrangements and operational strategy, are continually monitored and reviewed. Such monitoring ensures that optimum use is made of Garda resources. Clearly, however, the additional resources will be targeted at the areas of greatest need, as envisaged in the programme for Government.
The programme identifies, in particular, areas with a significant drugs problem and a large number of public order offences but it will also be possible to address other priorities, such as the need to significantly increase the number of gardaí allocated to traffic duties. As I have already made clear, the additional gardaí will not be put on administrative duties. They will be put directly into frontline, operational, high visibility policing and they will have a real impact.
