I am advised by the Garda authorities that Garda vehicles are retired from the fleet for a variety of reasons. I am further informed that it is not possible to isolate the number of vehicles which have been decommissioned upon reaching 300,000 kilometres, nor is it possible to give a precise figure as to the number of vehicles likely to be decommissioned by the end of 2011.
The numbers of Garda vehicles purchased and all vehicles retired from the Garda fleet in the period concerned are outlined in the table:
Year
|
Vehicles Decommissioned
|
Vehicles Commissioned
|
2008
|
428
|
190
|
2009
|
47
|
0
|
2010
|
124
|
165
|
2011 (November — Y.T.D.)
|
220
|
10
|
The provision and allocation of Garda resources, including transport, are matters for the Garda Commissioner in the context of his identified policing priorities and the availability of finance.