Niall Collins
Question:176. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the amount of money that would be required for the purchase of an additional 600 vehicles for the Garda fleet in 2014. [41708/13]
View answerThursday, 3 October 2013
Questions (176)
Written answers
As the Deputy will appreciate, Garda vehicles are required for a wide variety of policing requirements and, accordingly, the Garda fleet comprises different models of vehicles produced by a number manufacturers. In the circumstances I understand that it would not be practicable to provide a precise figure for the purpose referred to by the Deputy.
Overall, the Deputy will be aware that an additional €3 million was made available towards the end of last year which enabled the Force to procure 171 vehicles. This brought total investment in the Garda fleet in 2012 to €4 million and resulted in a total of 213 new vehicles being procured during the year. Furthermore, a specific allocation of €5 million has been provided for the purchase and fit-out of Garda transport in the current year.
This represents a very considerable financial investment in Garda transport, particularly at a time when the level of funding available across the public sector is severely limited. It is a clear indication of my commitment to ensure that, to the greatest extent possible, An Garda Síochána are provided with sufficient resources to enable them to deliver an effective and efficient policing service. In keeping with that approach, I will continue to seek to identify the potential for additional funding for the Garda Fleet. This will, of course, be contingent on expenditure in other areas.