Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 June 2016
127. Deputy John Lahart asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will allocate additional manpower, vehicles and resources to Tallaght Garda Síochána station; when she will begin the long promised redevelopment of the station given the major population and high rate of crime in the area; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15894/16]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel and vehicles, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. I am assured by the Garda Commissioner that the allocation of Gardaí is continually monitored and reviewed taking into account all relevant factors including crime trends, demographics, and security assessments relating to the area in question so as to ensure optimal use is made of Garda human resources.
The area mentioned by the Deputy is patrolled by members assigned to the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) South Division. I have been informed that the number of Gardaí assigned to the Division on the 30 April 2016, the latest date for which figures are readily available, was 542. Of these, 175 members were assigned to Tallaght Garda Station. The station is also supported by 8 Garda Reserves and 11 civilian staff.
This Government is committed to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and deter crime. Key to achieving this goal is the commitment in the Programme for Government, "A Programme for a Partnership Government" to continue the ongoing accelerated Garda recruitment programme with a view to increasing Garda numbers to 15,000. Taking account of projected retirements, the current rate of recruitment will bring Garda numbers to around the 13,000 mark this year. We must, I believe, endeavour to make more rapid progress than this to reach our target of 15,000 and I am engaging with my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, in relation to increasing the planned annual intake this year and in coming years.
As the Deputy will be aware, when the financial crisis hit, the Government of the time introduced a moratorium on recruitment and the four year National Recovery Plan, published in 2010, envisaged a steady reduction in Garda numbers. Thankfully, in a recovering economy, we were able to reopen the Garda College in September 2014, and a total of 700 Garda trainees have been recruited with a further 450 planned to be recruited during the remainder of this year. So far 463 of the new Garda trainees have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream uniform duties nationwide. Another 76 will attest on the 7 July with 150 more to attest in November. I am assured by the Commissioner that the needs of all Garda Divisions are fully considered when determining the allocation of newly attested Gardaí and that 35 newly attested Gardaí have been assigned to the DMR South Division to date.
In relation to the Garda vehicles, since 2012, some €34 million has been invested in the Garda fleet, with over 720 new vehicles coming on stream since the start of 2015. This significant investment provides the Gardaí with additional high-powered vehicles, marked and unmarked patrol cars, and motorcycles for high-visibility road policing. Investment in a modern, effective and fit-for-purpose Garda fleet will continue under the Government’s Capital Plan 2016-2021 which provides €46 million for new Garda vehicles, ensuring that Gardaí can be mobile, visible and responsive on the roads and in the community to prevent and tackle crime.
I am informed by the Garda Authorities that the allocation of Garda vehicles is monitored and reviewed on a continual basis and vehicles are allocated between districts as required by operational circumstances. In this context, I am advised that the number of vehicles assigned to the Tallaght Garda District is set out in the following table.
I am further advised by the Commissioner that there are no plans to provide a new station or for major refurbishment works to Tallaght Garda Station at this time.
Garda vehicles assigned to Tallaght Garda District to 10 June 2016
|
CARS |
CARS |
VANS |
MOTORCYCLES |
4X4 |
OTHER |
TOTAL |
|
MARKED |
UNMARKED |
|||||
|
12 |
15 |
5 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
36 |
