Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 11 May 2006
149 Mr. Gregory asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of community gardaí assigned to the Cabra district of Dublin 7 from each of the Bridewell, Mountjoy, Cabra and Blanchardstown Garda stations; the areas involved and the number of community gardaí assigned to each area. [17741/06]
Amharc ar fhreagraI presume that the Deputy is referring to the Cabra area of Dublin 7. There is no Garda Cabra District. Cabra Garda station is within the ‘K' District of the DMR West Division.
I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the personnel strength (all ranks) of An Garda Síochána as at 31 March 2006 was 12,439. This compares with a total strength of 10,702 (all ranks) as at 30 June 1997 and represents an increase of 1,737 (or 16.2%) in the personnel strength of the Force during that period.
I have been further informed by the Garda authorities that the number of Community Gardaí (all ranks) attached to the Bridewell, Mountjoy, Cabra and Blanchardstown Garda Stations as at 31 March, 2006 was as set out in the table hereunder:
|
Station |
Community Gardaí |
|
Bridewell |
13 |
|
Mountjoy |
11 |
|
Cabra |
4 |
|
Blanchardstown |
15 |
Garda management further informs me that 2 Community Gardaí from each of the Bridewell and Mountjoy Garda stations have Community Policing duties in the Cabra area.
I should also say that the current recruitment drive to increase the strength of the Garda Síochána to 14,000 members in line with the commitment in the Agreed Programme for Government is fully on target. This will lead to a combined strength, of both attested Gardaí and recruits in training, of 14,000 by the end of this year. I am pleased to inform the Deputy that the first group of newly attested Gardaí under the accelerated recruitment programme came on stream in March and a further 275 newly attested Gardaí will come on stream every 90 days from here on in.
The Garda Commissioner will now be drawing up plans on how best to distribute and manage these additional resources, and in this context the needs of the areas referred to by the Deputy will be given the fullest consideration.
