Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 8 March 2006
182 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when the vacancy will be filled at Mountjoy Garda station where there has been no sergeant in the community Garda section for some time. [9712/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the post of community policing sergeant at Mountjoy Garda station became vacant on 1 November, 2005.
I have been further informed that local Garda management are in the process of advertising the position and once a suitable candidate has been identified, he or she will be deployed as the community policing sergeant for Mountjoy Garda station.
The timescale for achieving the target strength of 14,000 members of the Garda Síochána in line with the commitment in An Agreed Programme for Government remains as when I announced the Government approval in October 2004 for my proposals to achieve this objective. The phased increase in the strength of the Garda Síochána to 14,000 will lead to a combined strength, of both attested gardaí and recruits in training, of 14,000 by the end of this year. As part of the accelerated recruitment campaign to facilitate this process, 1,125 Garda recruits were inducted to the Garda college during 2005. The college will induct 1,100 recruits this year and a further 1,100 in 2007, by way of intakes to the Garda college of approximately 275 recruits every quarter. This project is fully on target and will be achieved.
In this regard, I am informed by the Garda authorities that the first incremental increase of newly attested gardaí due to the programme of accelerated recruitment into the Garda Síochána will take place on 16 March 2006. Garda management states that during the allocation of the newly attested personnel, the needs of the Mountjoy Garda station will be fully considered within the overall context of the needs of Garda stations throughout the country.
