Garda to recruit 200 by end of January under Budget

The Government is to recruit 200 extra gardaí by the end of January and some €10 million has been made available for Garda vehicles in a two-pronged bid to increase high visibility policing across the State.

Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald described as "a positive step for policing in Ireland" the increased investment outlined in the Budget.

“New vehicles and ongoing recruitment will help ensure a strong, visible policing presence is provided in communities right across the country, helping to reduce crime,” she said.

“There will be particular focus on an increased provision of marked Garda vehicles, to provide an enhanced visible policing presence in communities around the state and to support gardaí in their efforts to reduce crime.

“Both urban and rural communities will benefit in terms of the provision of modern new vehicles for Garda patrol and response.”

She was thankful for the €40 million rise in the current budget for the Garda, which represented the 5 per cent increase in Garda pay that would fund the recruitment programme.

The overall justice budget has increased by €141 million to €2.3 billion.

As well as additional funding for the Garda, the oversight bodies that police and advise the force will also see their budgets increase. The mooted new Policing Authority has been earmarked some €500,000 to provide for its development next year.

Among the main measures in the justice vote were:

Some 100 new gardaí to enter training in December and another 100 in January.

Funding of €42 million provided for new Garda divisional headquarters in

Galway

,

Wexford

and Dublin’s Kevin Street.

Prison Service allocated €27 million in capital funding, which would be used towards the construction of the new Cork Prison and refurbishment of the D-wing in Mountjoy Prison, Dublin.

Total funding of

Garda Síochána

Ombudsman Commission to increase by €1 million to €9 million.

Garda Inspectorate allocated an additional €250,000.

The courts service has been allocated an additional €2 million and retains and once-off capital allocation of €2 million from 2014.

The new Charities

Regulatory Authority

receives an additional €500,000 to bring its budget to €1.4 million, while €500,000 in start-up costs is being allocated to the Legal Services Regulatory Authority.

The new Irish Human Rights and Equality Commission has been allocated its own budget of €6.3 million, which Ms Fitzgerald said underlined the independence of the agency.

Overall, the Garda budget for next year will be €1.323 billion, of which €904 million will go on salaries and allowances.

The Irish Prison Service has been allocated €310 million, Courts Service €58.8 million, Director of Public Prosecutions €38.4 million and the Department of Justice €308 million.

The secret service, which is used mainly to pay informers, has once again been allocated a budget of €1 million.