Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 October 2015
388. Deputy Finian McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality her plans to provide assurances that the vehicles allocated to the emergency response unit and regional support unit are high performance; if the number of vehicles allocated to both units will be increased in 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36553/15]
View answerDecisions in relation to the provision and allocation of Garda vehicles are a matter for the Garda Commissioner in the light of her identified operational demands and the availability of resources. Responsibility for the efficient deployment of Garda vehicles in each Unit is assigned to the Divisional Officer, who may allocate vehicles between Units, as required by operational circumstances. The Deputy will appreciate that a degree of flexibility in allocating and re-allocating vehicles among Units, so as to best match the allocation of resources with policing priorities, is essential to the efficient management of the Garda fleet.
This Government has been determined to ensure that An Garda Síochána has the resources to deliver highly-mobile and responsive Garda patrols in both rural and urban communities. Since 2012, we have invested almost €29 million in renewing the Garda fleet to support front line Garda responses. So far this year 370 new vehicles have come on stream including new specialised vehicles. Today I announced the allocation of a further €5.3m to An Garda Síochána for the purchase of a further 260 vehicles between now and the end of the year. This new investment will provide the Gardaí with additional high powered vehicles, marked and unmarked patrol cars, cars for surveillance and covert operations, motor cycles for high visibility road policing and vehicles for public order policing. This investment in a modern, effective and fit-for-purpose Garda fleet will continue under the Government’s Capital Plan 2016-2021 which provides an additional €46 million for new Garda vehicles over the life time of the Plan. The increased budget allocation for 2016 will also facilitate additional funding for Garda surveillance, special operations and targeted, intelligence-led policing.
This substantial level of investment will be accompanied by the continued renewal of Garda personnel with 600 new Gardaí to be recruited next year on top of the 550 to be recruited by the end of this year. The totality of this investment will ensure that Gardaí have the necessary tools and manpower to tackle the scourge of highly-mobile criminal gangs and to disrupt crime, particularly burglaries, across both rural and urban communities.
