Tony Gregory
Ceist:403 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of additional community gardaí being assigned to Fitzgibbon Street Garda station in Dublin 1. [30958/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraTuesday, 30 November 2004
Ceisteanna (349)
Freagraí scríofa
I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that on 22 November 2004 an additional four community gardaí were assigned to Fitzgibbon Street Garda station. This brings the number of community gardaí attached to Fitzgibbon Street station to 18 — two sergeants and 16 gardaí.
With regard to Garda resources generally, the Government has approved my proposal to increase the strength of the Garda Síochána to 14,000 members on a phased basis, in line with the An Agreed Programme for Government commitment in this regard. This is a key commitment in the programme for Government and its implementation will significantly strengthen the operational capacity of the force. The commissioner will now draw up plans on how best to distribute and manage these resources.
Clearly, however, the additional resources will be targeted at the areas of greatest need, as is envisaged in the programme for Government. The programme identifies, in particular, areas with a significant drugs problem and a large number of public order offences but it will be possible to address other priorities as well, such as the need to significantly increase the number of gardaí allocated to traffic duties as part of the new Garda traffic corps. I have already promised that the additional gardaí will not be put on administrative duties. They will be put directly into frontline, operational, high visibility policing. They will have a real impact.
In each of the next three years there will be an intake of almost 1,100 new recruits per year. The advertisement campaign for this first tranche of 1,100 recruits was launched on Thursday, 25 November 2004.