Garda station closures have resulted in 61,000 more man hours available for frontline services, Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald told the Seanad.

She said the Government would have provided for the recruitment of a total of 550 extra gardaí by next September.

“Additional recruitment is being further supported by reforms and efficiency measures,’’ she added.

“For example, 125 gardaí are returning to frontline policing as a result of civilianisation of Garda immigration functions at Dublin airport.’’

Ms Fitzgerald said recruiting gardaí could prove futile unless they were properly resourced. Critical to this was ensuring gardaí were mobile, responsive and visible in the community.

To date, she said, the Government had invested nearly €29 million in new Garda vehicles since 2012, marking a huge increase on the €4.8 million provided for by the previous government in budgets between 2009-2011.

Specialised vehicles

She said the latest 370 new vehicles had begun coming on stream since the start of this year. In addition, she said, she recently allocated a further €700,000 for specialised vehicles to support gardaí in responding to current and emerging crime threats, including those committed by highly mobile gangs.

Ms Fitzgerald said the last budget also contained an additional €4 million for ICT, adding that outdated, paper-based practices must be consigned to history.

The Minister was introducing the Garda Síochána (Policing Authority and Miscellaneous Provisions) Bill.

She said the establishment of an independent authority was at the core of the Government’s reform programme and represented the most far- reaching reform of the Garda Síochána since the State’s foundation.