I thank Senator Tom Hayes for raising this matter and I am pleased to respond to it.
The House will be aware that this Government is particularly committed to the fight against crime and has increased the resources available to the Garda Síochána. Garda numbers have increased in the past three years by 600 members and are on course to meet the Government target of 12,000 by the year 2002. The Garda fleet has also increased from 1,350 to 1,900 vehicles. The Garda air support unit has become operational and an additional helicopter is being purchased. The allocation for Garda expenditure provided in the 1997 Estimates was £494 million while this year's provision is £668 million.
The Senator will agree that this illustrates clearly my commitment and that of the Government to ensure that the Garda Síochána has the necessary resources to tackle crime in all its forms. The Garda Síochána has never in its history been better resourced in terms of manpower and equipment than it has been since this Government took office. While the Garda is well resourced and crime is falling, we must not become complacent in this regard.
It is not unusual for areas to seek increased Garda manpower and resources in view of the force's effectiveness in tackling crime and providing a deterrent against would be criminals. This is perfectly understandable and is a reflection of the importance people attach to the visible presence of gardaí. While it is my responsibility to provide these resources in so far as it is practicable to do so, it is the Garda authorities who are responsible for their detailed allocation to individual areas.
The allocation of Garda personnel and resources to an individual area is carried out with due regard for a number of factors in the various Garda districts. The following factors have particular relevance in assisting with the efficient and equitable allocation of Garda personnel resources – population, geographical area, crimes reported per annum, number of road traffic accidents involving personal injury, number of stolen cars received and depreciation indicators. While the above factors have particular relevance in assisting with the efficient and equitable allocation of personnel, different Garda districts have differing attendant sources of the above variables and it is the overall balance of these and not individual indicators taken in isolation which prescribe the recommended allocation of available resources.
The current personnel strength of Tipperary town Garda station is 29, all ranks. Personnel strength in 1999 was 31. It was 27 in 1998 and 24 in 1997. The number of indictable crimes recorded in Tipperary district which includes Tipperary town in recent years is as follows – 165 reported offences in 1996 with 85 being detected; 202 reported offences in 1997 with 106 detected; 162 offences reported in 1998 with 71 detected and 163 offences reported in the first nine months of 1999 with 76 detected. The current detection rate is 47% and this is above the national average.
I have also been assured by the Garda authorities that the policing situation in Tipperary town is monitored constantly and that the needs of the Tipperary division will be considered in conjunction with all the divisions throughout the country when resources next become available. In that context, any views or observations the Senator would like to make in relation to the level of policing in Tipperary town would, of course, be most welcome.
The Seanad adjourned at 7.40 p.m. until 10.30 a.m. on Thursday, 30 March 2000.
