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Garda Deployment.

Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 26 January 2005

Wednesday, 26 January 2005

Questions (663)

Olivia Mitchell

Question:

723 Ms O. Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the progress to date in establishing a dedicated traffic corps; the predicted timescale for the creation of the full complement of the corps; the way in which this corps will differ in its operation and functions from the existing traffic divisions; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1157/05]

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Written answers

In relation to Garda resources generally, 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 the commitment in An Agreed Programme for Government in this regard. I announced the establishment within the Garda Síochána of the traffic corps on 23 November 2004. I am informed by the Garda authorities that the number of gardaí assigned to the traffic corps will increase on a phased basis from the current approved level of 531 to 1,200 by 2008. This will be done in tandem with the recruitment of almost 1,100 recruits in each of the next three years resulting in the net increase in the strength of the force to 14,000.

As each cycle of recruit training is completed, the Garda Commissioner will assign these new members to the areas of greatest need with certain priorities, in particular the traffic corps. The recruitment campaign to take on additional gardaí was launched on 25 November, 2004 and over 10,500 applications were received. In each quarter, for the next three years, around 274 recruits will be taken into the college. Arrangements are in place for the intake of 274 students to the Garda College on 7 February 2005.

The Government has approved the appointment of an additional officer at the rank of assistant commissioner, who will be the head of the traffic corps, and an appointment will be made in the very near future. The traffic corps will have a dedicated and identifiable budget, and formal arrangements for this within the Garda budget are now being put in place.

The Garda strategic review of traffic policing, which I published also on 23 November, is the blueprint for the activities of the traffic corps. Work is currently under way on the development of proposals for the elaboration and implementation of the traffic corps' strategy, including proposals on the structural aspects of road traffic law enforcement. These proposals will be considered for adoption by the new head of the traffic corps and other senior management of the Garda Síochána. Every effort is being made to process applications as quickly as possible. Decisions on applications are currently taking, on average, four to six weeks to process. This is due to the high volume of applications received.

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