Extra vehicles are to be purchased for An Garda Síochána as part of a strategy of “high-visibility polcing” being rolled out amid concerns about gangland activity and gun crime.
The Cabinet has approved a further €4.3 million for Minister for Justice Heather Humphreys to fund the purchase of another 122 Garda vehicles, which is in addition to the €10 million already allocated to the force to buy new vehicles in Budget 2023.
‘Fight crime’
The Department of Justice said the fleet would see another 400 vehicles added next year following the increase in capital funding.
In a statement accompanying the announcement, Ms Humphreys said the investment in the force would “ensure they have the tools, infrastructure and equipment they need to fight crime and build stronger, safer communities”.
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“Investment in Garda vehicles is also an investment in high-visibility policing across the country – which is crucial to ensuring that people feel safe and are safe,” she said.
As of November 30th last, there were 3,298 vehicles assigned to the Garda fleet, an increase of 26 per cent since the end of 2015.
During the Covid-19 pandemic, the Garda added rented cars to their fleet to be used for community outreach, without the Garda livery on them and displaying only the insignia and the name of the force.
