Malcolm Noonan (Carlow-Kilkenny, Green Party) | Oireachtas source

On behalf of the Minister for Justice, I thank the Deputies for raising this important issue. The Garda Commissioner is responsible by law for the management and administration of Garda business, including the distribution of members of the Garda throughout the State. The Minister for Justice has no role in these independent functions. The determination of the need for the development of a new Garda station in Meath or at any other location will be considered by the Commissioner in the context of the overall accommodation requirements arising from the ongoing expansion of the Garda workforce, the availability of capital funding, the implementation of A Policing Service for our Future, the Government’s implementation plan for the recommendations of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland, and the new Garda operating model which will inform the accommodation priorities of An Garda Síochána in the years 2022 to 2030.

The Office of Public Works, OPW, has responsibility for the provision and maintenance of Garda accommodation. Works in respect of Garda accommodation are progressed by the Garda authorities working in close co-operation with the OPW. Again, the Minister for Justice has no direct role in these matters. I am assured that Garda management keeps the distribution of all resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities to ensure their optimum use. In that regard, I note the crimes cited by the Deputies.

There has been a significant increase in Garda resources in Meath in recent years. As of the end of May 2021, a total of 322 Garda members, in addition to 43 Garda staff, were assigned to the Meath division. These figures represent increases of 16% and 65%, respectively, since December 2015. As regards Laytown Garda station in particular, an inspector was appointed to the station in January of this year, indicating the commitment of An Garda Síochána to the area. I am advised that local Garda management has taken steps to improve Garda coverage in the area. These steps include increased frequency of patrols in affected areas as well as regular support from the divisional operational support unit for the area. The Meath division is one of four divisions earmarked by the Commissioner for the introduction of the new Garda operating model in the next year. The new operating model is envisaged to deliver improvements to structures, processes, services and governance, and there will be an increase in the number of front-line gardaí.

As the Deputies will be aware, the Drogheda: Creating a Bridge to a Better Future report recently published by the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and compiled by Mr. Vivian Geiran, a former director of the Probation Service, recommends that exploration of how to address the issue of the impact of the county boundaries of Louth and Meath and the corresponding delineation between Garda districts and divisions, with specific regard to the policing of the Laytown-Bettystown area of east Meath, be undertaken. An implementation plan for the report is due to be published by the Department of Justice shortly. I again thank the Deputies for raising this issue.

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