asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí per head of population operating in the areas of Limerick, County Kildare, Cork, Waterford, Dublin city centre and Galway.
Written Answers. - Garda Strength.
117.
As Garda administrative areas do not correspond to the local government areas used as a basis for census of population, precise figures of the number of gardaí per head of population in the areas referred to in the question cannot be provided. However, the following table gives an estimate of the number of gardaí per thousand of population by reference to the current Garda strength allocated to stations situated in these areas and to census of population figures. The population figures are taken from the preliminary report on the 1986 census except in the case of Dublin city centre for which the 1981 census figures are used as the relevant 1986 census figures are not yet available. For the purpose of this reply Dublin city centre is taken to be roughly the area between the Tolka and the Grand Canal and extending as far west as St. James Gate and Parkgate Street.
|
Population |
Garda Strength |
No. of Gardaí per 1,000 Population |
|
|
Limerick Co. Borough |
56,241 |
389 |
6.9 |
|
County Kildare |
116,015 |
196 |
1.7 |
|
Cork Co. Borough |
133,196 |
577 |
4.3 |
|
Waterford Co. Borough |
39,516 |
136 |
3.4 |
|
Dublin City Centre |
113,000(Estimated) |
1,003 |
8.9 |
|
Galway Co. Borough |
47,008 |
179 |
3.8 |
I would like to make the point that it would be seriously misleading to regard these figures as any accurate measure of the level of Garda service in the areas concerned. Population is only one of a number of factors taken into account in assessing the police needs of any particular area and, in any attempt to compare levels of police service in different areas, account would need to be taken of other matters including the overall resources available to an area, such as support staff, transport and other facilities.