Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 6, 14 and 21 together.

I welcome Deputy Darragh O'Brien to Question Time in the justice area. I am more accustomed to engagement with him in the foreign affairs arena. I also welcome his question. I should say the distribution of gardaí is exclusively the statutory responsibility of the Garda Commissioner. I can say, however, that the Government is committed to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance for citizens and deter crime. The substantial increase in Garda numbers is tangible progress in achieving the Government's vision of an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021, comprising 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Reserve members and 4,000 civilians.

I am pleased to say budget 2018 will support the continuation of the high level of investment in the Garda workforce and ensure the vision of an overall workforce of 21,000 by 2021 will remain firmly on track. A further 800 new Garda recruits will enter the Garda College and an additional 500 civilians will be recruited to fill critical gaps throughout the organisation to facilitate the redeployment of gardaí from administrative and technical duties to front-line operational duties. There are plans to strengthen the Garda Reserve with new reserves expected to commence training early next year.

Notwithstanding the Commissioner's responsibility for the distribution of the gardaí, I have provided a breakdown of the detailed information requested by Deputy Darragh O'Brien in tabular form. The tables set out to the number of gardaí allocated to each Garda station in the Dublin metropolitan region as of 31 August this year, the latest date for which figures are readily available. The Garda divisions referred to show that the Garda strength of the region on that date was 3,467. There are 181 Garda reserves and 208 civilians attached to the region. Where appropriate, the work of local gardaí is supported by a number of Garda national units such as the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, all of which are active in the region.

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