Éamon Ó Cuív
Ceist:9 Éamon Ó Cuív asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí at present serving in Waterford city. Limerick city and Galway city. [7415/95]
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Garda Strength.
The Garda authorities inform me that the present strength at Waterford Station is 114.
Limerick city is policed by a total of 311 gardaí attached to four different Garda stations. This number is composed of 164 members attached to Henry Street Station, 101 members attached to Roxboro Road Station, 31 members attached to Mayorstone Park Station and 15 members attached to Mary Street Station.
Galway City is policed by the gardaí attached to Mill Street Garda Station. The present strength at Mill Street Garda Station is 134. The present strength at Salthill is 51.
Will the Minister indicate how these allocations are made? Limerick city is approximately the same size as Galway. There are 311 gardaí stationed there and I do not begrudge that to the people of Limerick. I am sure they are not any less law abiding than the people of Galway or Waterford but there does not seem to be any relationship between population and the size of a city and the number of gardaí allocated to that city. On these figures, it would appear that Waterford and Galway are losing out.
I am sorry to be repetitive but I must remind the Deputy that the actual deployment of gardaí is a matter for the Commissioner. The population of Waterford, which has 114 gardaí, is 42,000. The population of Limerick, with 311 gardaí, is 80,000 and the population listed here for Galway, with 134 gardaí, is 38,000. The Deputy will see, therefore, that Galway, with 134 gardaí out of a population of 38,000, is doing relatively well compared to Limerick or Waterford.
Will the Minister ask her officials or whoever prepared the reply to the question where they got the statistics on population because the population of the Galway borough area is 55,000?
I will certainly do that. As the Deputy knows, Galway city is policed by Mill Street Garda Station and there is a separate Garda Station in Salthill. I do not know whether the Deputy's figures include Salthill but 51 gardaí are stationed in Salthill. The Deputy's figures probably combine the two. The figures I have given are for Mill Street Garda Station, which covers Galway city. The figure, therefore, is actually 134 plus 51.
I must dispute the Minister's figures. The Galway borough area has a population of 55,000. Salthill, which has now become the divisional station, will include large areas of Connemara, increasing the total population involved to approximately 70,000 or 75,000. If one compares the 185 gardaí in Galway, including Salthill, with the 311 gardaí in Limerick, with its population of 80,000, one finds a huge discrepancy. The two cities are about the same size but there is a lower ratio of Garda Síochána per head of population in Galway and Waterford cities than in Limerick city.
That is somewhat repetitious.
The deployment of gardaí in individual areas is a matter for the Garda authorities but they take into account such things as the level of crime, population, the size of the area and so on. In 1994 Limerick city had almost three times the crime level of Waterford city and just over twice that of Galway city. The crime statistics for 1994 were: Waterford, 1,190; Limerick, 3,109 and Galway, 1,487. The Garda take into account not only the population but the type and level of crime and the requirements for the deployment of gardaí.
I will pass on the Deputy's comments to the Garda Commissioner for his consideration.
Has there been an in-depth study as to why the crime rate in Limerick should be so much higher than that in Waterford or Galway cities? If not, will she initiate an in-depth study to see if this problem can be tackled?
We have a statistical question and that is going beyond the bounds of the question.
It is quite obvious from the figures that have been given that the Garda representation in Waterford city is well below that of Galway or Limerick cities. I know from a meeting we had with the Minister on a different matter that she accepts that point but will she ensure that as gardaí come off Border duty they are deployed in areas that are under-represented? The crime figures for Waterford may be low but if the appropriate policing resources are not allocated, the crime rate will rise as it has done in other cities. It is important to ensure that Waterford has the appropriate number of gardaí in order to prevent that happening in the future.
Recently I met with a deputation from Waterford who made the case strongly to me on the need for an increased Garda presence, particularly in one large area of the city. I have already taken action since that meeting and I hope there will be improved services available shortly. I will bring the Deputy's concerns to the attention of the Garda Commissioner.
Modern policing methods do not seem to take into account the development of certain cities and the advent of huge local authority estates on the perimeter of cities. Has the Minister considered a policy of locating a number of substations in sprawling estates rather than having a concentration of gardaí in one central station.
Again, this is a statistical question.
I favour this development and it is already in place in areas of Dublin where substations and clinics which answer directly to a division or district headquarters are open for certain hours of the day, and when the clinic or substation is closed telephone calls automatically go through to the central station.
In growing cities such as Waterford where there may be one large Garda station that does not seem to touch the lives of the people in the suburbs, one requires that kind of infrastructure in the sprawling suburbs. I met recently with a deputation from Waterford and I am considering their proposals and I hope to be in a position to give them information on it shortly.