asked the Minister for Justice the scheduled completion date of the new Garda Station at Ballyfermot, Dublin; and the Garda complement which it will possess.
46.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Ballyfermot (Dublin) Garda Strength.
45.
asked the Minister for Justice whether he will take immediate steps to have the whole of the Ballyfermot area included in the Dublin Metropolitan Garda area in view of the incidents continuously occurring at the present boundary of Garda areas at Grange Cross.
47.
asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí allocated to cover the Ballyfermot area of Dublin.
With your permission, a Cheann Comhairle, I propose to take Questions Nos. 45, 46 and 47 together.
Pending the erection of a new station at Ballyfermot, for which a contract has been placed, the locality continues to be policed from Chapelizod. The strength of the gardaí at Chapelizod is now 64; it was increased by 11 men recently and will be increased by a further four men next month.
The new Ballyfermot station is due to be completed in a year's time. When the station is opened, the complement of gardaí will be fixed in the light of the circumstances then prevailing. The whole of Ballyfermot, including the Grange Cross locality, has at all times been within the Dublin Metropolitan Area. The boundaries between subdistricts will be reviewed in connection with the opening of the new Ballyfermot station.
Is the Minister aware that the Dublin Metropolitan Police Act gives the gardaí far wider power in relation to minor acts of vandalism and rowdyism and that sometimes difficulties arise where these people skip across the district line, thereby avoiding police supervision? Is he aware that this is the reason why there is such difficulty between the districts at this point?
If there is such a difficulty it has not been brought to my notice.
Will the Minister say what number of gardaí from Chapelizod or adjoining areas serve Ballyfermot at any particular time? Could he give me those figures?
Ballyfermot is served, as I said, from Chapelizod station. I cannot say where each man is at any particular time. Ballyfermot will be served from the new barracks when it is completed in about a year's time.
The Minister will be aware that I wrote to him some weeks ago about this matter. There are 33,910 people in Ballyfermot and surely the Minister should know what proportion of the police force attached to Chapelizod serves this particular area?
The Deputy's figures, if they are taken from the figures given by the Parliamentary Secretary, are inaccurate in that these figures cover not alone Ballyfermot, but Bluebell and parts of Walkinstown, which are not in the Ballyfermot area.
Can the Minister give information about the number of gardaí who can patrol the Ballyfermot area at any particular time?
I have already given the number of gardaí there to look after that area.
Could the Minister answer this question? Apart from Ballyfermot and presumably the Chapelizod area, would he indicate what other areas are covered by the gardaí in the Chapelizod station?
I do not think I have the necessary information here and if the Deputy wants that question answered he should put down a separate question.
I shall do that.