Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

While they have a title, and it is important to acknowledge that the community gardaí and the specific work that they do, what we have seen throughout Covid-19 and the last two years is that every member of An Garda Síochána is essentially a community garda. The work they do is about responding to crime, needs and incidents as they arise, but it is also about outreach. It is about actively and proactively engaging with community at every level. It is important that we have gardaí specifically designated and designed to reach out, for example, to our elderly and younger populations and to engage with schools and community groups. I can think of a number of gardaí in my own county who are known the length and breadth of the county for they work that they do specifically with community groups. We must also remember that there is a focus on community at the heart of policing. It is important to stress that the new divisional model will include a division where gardaí will be focusing specifically on the area of community. As those divisional models are rolled out, I have not doubt that whether it is in County Mayo or any other part of the country, we will see an increase in those numbers.

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