Patrick O'Donovan (Limerick, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

554. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the current number of members of An Garda Síochána in the State overall; the current number and number as of March 2011 of gardaí broken down by rank in tabular form and per district. [32959/14]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel and vehicles, among the Garda Regions, Divisions and Districts. Garda management keep this distribution under continuing review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the best possible use is made of these resources.

I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the personnel strength of An Garda Síochána on 31 July 2014, the latest date for which figures are readily available, was 12,905. There were also 1,156 Garda Reserves and over 2,000 Civilians in An Garda Síochána on that date.

The Deputy will be aware that the first intake since 2009 of 100 new recruits entered training at the Garda College in Templemore on Monday 15th September 2014. This marked a positive step forward for policing in Ireland. It is the objective that after a period of financial constraint, seamless ongoing recruitment continues into the future.

The personnel strength of An Garda Síochána broken down by rank and district on 31 March 2011 and on 31 July 2014 is as set out in the tables in the link.