Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 11 Nov 1998

Vol. 496 No. 4

Written Answers. - Garda Deployment.

Dan Neville

Ceist:

257 Mr. Neville asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of gardaí assigned to Newcastlewest Garda station, County Limerick, for each of the past three years; the additional resources, if any, available to the station due to the increase in the level of crime in the area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [23165/98]

Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform (Mr. O'Donoghue)

The detailed allocation of Garda personnel and resources to an individual area is a matter for the Garda authorities. They have informed me that the current personnel strength for the Garda district specified by the Deputy is as follows:

Date	Strength (all ranks)
10-11-1998	42
31-12-1997	42
31-12-1996	44

I am further informed that local policing arrangements are augmented whenever necessary by other resources from within the relevant Garda division as a whole.

The recent crime statistics pertaining to the specified Garda station are set out as follows:

Date	Recorded	Detected
1995	71	34
1996	72	47
1997	53	26
1995*	58	28

(*These figures are for the period to the end of September 1998, and are provisional.)

The local Divisional Officer is satisfied that the personnel strength of this Garda station is adequate to meet the current demands placed upon it. The Garda authorities have also informed me that the staffing situation will be kept under review and that each time additional personnel become available for allocation the needs of this specific sub-district will be fully considered in the overall context of the needs of other Garda sub-districts throughout the country.