Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I should state at the outset that the distribution of Garda personnel, including the allocation of newly attested Gardaí, is exclusively the statutory responsibility of the Garda Commissioner. Notwithstanding the Commissioner's responsibility, I have provided for the record, in tabular form, the detailed information requested by the Deputy.

I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that, as of the 28 February 2018, the latest date for which figures are available, the strength of the Mayo division was 328. When appropriate, the work of local gardaí is supported by a number of Garda national units such as the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the armed support units, the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau. I assure the House 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 to citizens and to deter crime. To make this a reality for everybody, the Government has in place a plan for an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021, including 15,000 Garda members.

Real, tangible progress has been made towards this goal. Garda numbers, taking account of projected retirements, increased to 13,551 at the end of last year, a net increase of over 600 since the end of 2016. The Deputy will be aware that in 2010 a previous Government closed the Garda College and imposed a moratorium - the measures imposed at that time had a negative impact on Garda numbers across all divisions and the legacy of these decisions continues to have consequences for policing. When it had brought about an early exit from the bailout and stabilised the public finances in September 2014, the then Government responded and the college in Templemore has since reopened and just under 1,800 recruits have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and are performing mainstream duties nationwide, 19 of whom have been assigned to the Mayo division.

Probationer Garda Allocations 2015 – 2018*

DIVISION	STATION	2015	2016	2017	2018	Total
MAYO	CASTLEBAR	5	0	10	0	15
	BALLINA	0	0	4	0	4
Total		5	0	14	0	19

* To date in 2018

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