James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities, and a strengthened, well-resourced An Garda Síochána is central to this policy. While the Garda Commissioner is operationally responsible for the allocation of Garda resources, we engage regularly with him to ensure our gardaí have the resources they need.

The unprecedented allocation of in excess of €2.3 billion to An Garda Síochána for 2024 will allow for sustained recruitment of between 800 to 1,000 new Garda recruits in 2024. As of the end of October 2023, there were 428 Garda members assigned to the Kildare division, which is an increase of more than 12% since the end of December 2018, when there were 380 gardaí in the division. The current total includes 152 members assigned to the Kildare district, 110 assigned to the Leixlip district and 166 members assigned to the Naas district. Since 2015, 183 probationer gardaí have been assigned to the Kildare Garda division and that includes six so far in 2023. In addition, there are 32 Garda staff members assigned to the Kildare division. Garda staff provide vital administrative support and help free up Garda members to focus on front-line duties.

Roll-out by the Garda Commissioner of the new Garda operating model is continuing and meets a key recommendation of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland. The model is designed to make changes to the structures of An Garda Síochána to provide for more front-line gardaí, increased Garda visibility and a wider range of policing services for people in their local area.

Coupled with the continued roll-out of the new operating model, which is in the process of being rolled out in counties Kildare and Carlow, I am confident that the Commissioner will have the resources and plans in place to continue to deliver on An Garda Síochána's mission of keeping people safe.

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