Minister boosts Galway Garda fleet by 31 cars

The fleet of Garda patrol cars in Galway has been boosted with an influx of new vehicles in the past two years, new figures confirm.

A government backbencher says the investment in 31 additional Garda patrol cars allows Gardaí to move up a gear in its crackdown on rural crime, particularly burglaries.

Justice Minister, Frances Fitzgerald, has confirmed in a Dáil reply to Galway West TD, Seán Kyne, that An Garda Síochána in Galway took delivery of 15 new patrol cars in 2013 and 16 new patrol cars in 2014.

The 31 additional patrol cars for Galway was part of targeted investment by the Department of Justice in its fleet of patrol cars across the country.

During that period, Mayo Gardaí received some 20 new vehicles; Gardaí in Roscommon/Longford got an additional 23 vehicles; and Gardaí in Sligo/Leitrim took delivery of 22 new Garda patrol cars.

However, the figures supplied by Minister Fitzgerald do not include the numbers of vehicles that were decommissioned during those two years.

Garda cars are withdrawn because they have reached the 300,000 kilometre mark on the clock, and they are effectively decommissioned for health and safety reasons.

Between the years 2008 and 2012, the fleet of cars in Galway had been depleted by 15%, from 93 to 79.

Deputy Kyne says investment in vehicles recommenced in 2013 under this government and will continue in 2014 and 2015.

“Gardaí need new vehicles to be able to deter and detect crime, particularly in rural areas. These new Garda patrol cars in Galway should help Gardaí fight rural crime. I welcome the investment in Garda patrol cars in Galway, and across the country. This is a positive development in what has been a difficult year for the Department of Justice and An Garda Síochána. There was no investment in the Garda cars until 2012 but under this Government there was investment in 2013, 2014 and again next year,” said Deputy Kyne.

In her response to Deputy Kyne, Minister Fitzgerald said: “I am advised by the Garda authorities that an additional 438 new Garda vehicles were purchased in 2013 at a cost of €10 million. The Deputy will be aware that I recently secured a further €10 million for investment in the Garda fleet of which €7 million has been made available in 2014. This funding brings the total investment for 2014 to €11 million. The remaining €3 million will be made available for the purchase and fit out of additional Garda vehicles in 2015.

“Decisions in relation to the deployment of Garda vehicles, at Regional and Divisional level, are a matter for the Garda Commissioner. I am advised that the deployment of all Garda resources is subject to ongoing review and analysis to ensure that the best use is made of available policing resources.”