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The need for the Minister for Justice and Equality to discuss the announcement in October of an additional 170 vehicles for the Gardaí Síochána, to provide a breakdown by county and by district of the allocation of these vehicles, whether these vehicles have as yet been allocated, and if not, to outline a timescale for the distribution of these vehicles.

Senator Trevor O’Clochartaigh

I wish to thank Senator O’ Clochartaigh for raising this issue.

May I begin by saying how pleased I am that arrangements have been put in place, with special funding being made available for that purpose, to allow the Garda authorities to purchase a significant number of new vehicles.

It will provide for an additional 170 new Garda vehicles. This is in addition to the 42 vehicles which have already been provided this year and means that An Garda Síochána has placed total orders for some 212 vehicles in 2012.

The Garda Commissioner is currently making arrangements for the provision of the additional transport and it is anticipated that it will come on stream in December and January, at which time it will be rolled out to Garda Divisions throughout the country.

The actual arrangements for the deployment of Garda transport are, of course, a matter in the first instance for the Garda Commissioner in the context of his identified operational requirements. In turn, at Garda Divisional level, the allocation of Garda vehicles is a matter for the Chief Superintendent who may make and revise arrangements for the deployment of vehicles throughout a Division in response to policing demands. This flexibility in allocating and re-allocating vehicles among stations, so as to best match resources with policing priorities, is crucial to the efficient management of the Garda fleet. As a consequence, the Senator will appreciate that it is not possible to provide a breakdown of the locations to which these vehicles will ultimately be allocated.

Additionally, the deployment of Garda vehicles is subject to ongoing analysis and review. This process allows Garda management to allocate available resources within the Force in the most appropriate manner to meet existing and emerging operational requirements.

I am certain that the delivery and commissioning of these 170 new vehicles will serve to enhance the capacity of An Garda Síochána to continue to provide an effective and efficient policing service to communities across the country.