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Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 July 2020

Tuesday, 14 July 2020

Questions (929)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

929. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of marked and unmarked Garda cars and motorcycles attached to each roads policing unit as of 1 July 2019 and 1 July 2020, in tabular form. [15273/20]

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Written answers

In accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for managing and controlling the administration and business of An Garda Síochána. Under the Act, the allocation of Garda resources is a matter for the Commissioner, in light of identified operational demands. This includes responsibility for the allocation of Garda vehicles among the various Garda divisions. As Minister, I have no role in these matters. I am assured, however, that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities, to ensure their optimum use.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that as at 1 July 2020 there were 296 vehicles assigned to Roads Policing Duties nationwide. This figure is consistent with vehicles assigned to Roads Policing duty at 1 July 2019.

For the Deputy's information the attached spreadsheet sets out the vehicles assigned to Roads Policing duties for the dates requested by the Deputy. I am advised that within the DMR, there is a Roads Policing Division based in Dublin Castle (referred to as Traffic in the attached document) and there are also units within each of the six geographical Divisions within the DMR which cover road policing duties.

For clarity, it may be noted that these figures do not include the additional 210 vehicles which have been hired by An Garda Síochána this year, to provide additional capacity during the Covid-19 pandemic.

I understand that the Commissioner established the Garda National Roads Policing Bureau to ensure a consistent approach to road safety and enforcement of road traffic legislation across the country. This is achieved through coordination of enforcement and development of policy based on research and analysis of statistics and by engaging in campaigns in partnership with other State agencies.

In addition to a focus on the lifesaver offences of speeding, seatbelts, mobile phones and driving under the influence, Divisional Roads Policing Units work closely with other relevant Divisional Units to target known criminals and to disrupt their activities through strict enforcement of road traffic legislation.

Separately, the Deputy will be aware that significant capital investment is being made in An Garda Síochána, including a total of €46 million specifically for the Garda fleet between 2016 and 2021. This continuing investment is intended to ensure that An Garda Síochána has a modern, effective and fit-for-purpose fleet and that Gardaí can be mobile, visible and responsive on the roads and in the community to prevent and tackle crime.

Of this investment, a total of €9 million was made available for purchase and fit-out of additional Garda vehicles in 2020. I am also informed that in order to protect the ongoing availability of vehicles and in anticipation of the impact of public health restrictions on motor factory or fit-out workplaces, 94 additional vehicles were purchased by the Garda authorities in March 2020 at a cost of €2.4m and fit-out costs of €600,000. The allocation of these and all other vehicles in the fleet is entirely a matter for the Commissioner and his management team.

Garda Vehicles

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