Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 15 January 2014
569. Deputy Simon Harris asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda vehicles in a county (details supplied); if he will provide a breakdown in tabular form of the type of vehicle and to which station or stations each vehicle is assigned; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [1115/14]
Amharc ar fhreagraDecisions in relation to the provision and allocation of Garda vehicles are a matter for the Garda Commissioner in the light of his identified operational demands and the availability of resources. Responsibility for the efficient deployment of Garda vehicles in each Division is assigned to the Divisional Officer, who may allocate vehicles between stations, as required by operational circumstances. The Deputy will appreciate that a degree of flexibility in allocating and re-allocating vehicles among stations, so as to best match the allocation of resources with policing priorities, is essential to the efficient management of the Garda fleet. As a consequence it is not fully practicable to provide a breakdown of Garda vehicles by individual station. However, I am informed that there are currently 51 vehicles allocated to the Wicklow Division. A breakdown of vehicles by District is set out in the following table:
|
District |
Type of Vehicle |
Total |
|
Baltinglass |
8 cars/3 other vehicles |
11 |
|
Bray |
19 cars/6 other vehicles |
25 |
|
Wicklow |
11 cars/4 other vehicles |
15 |
|
- |
- |
51 |
I am conscious of the continuing pressures on the Garda fleet and, in that regard, the Deputy will be aware that I recently secured a further €9m for investment in the fleet. This investment resulted in the purchase of 305 new Garda vehicles towards the end of 2013, at a cost of €5 million. These were in addition to the 133 new Garda vehicles which had already been procured during the year. The remaining €4 million has been made available for the purchase and fit out of Garda vehicles in 2014. The most recent investment will bring to €18m the total amount spent on the Garda fleet for the three years 2012 to 2014. This represents a very considerable financial investment in Garda transport, particularly at a time when the level of funding available across the public sector is severely limited. It is a clear indication of my commitment to ensure that, to the greatest extent possible, An Garda Síochána are provided with sufficient resources to enable them to deliver an effective and efficient policing service.
