Tommy Broughan (Dublin North East, Independent)
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128. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality when the post of Secretary General in her Department is to be filled; if she will report on the Garda Síochána districts currently without a superintendent; the length of time each post has been vacant; when each post will be filled; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [26757/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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In respect of the query on the post of Secretary General in my Department, I refer the Deputy to my recent reply to Parliamentary Question 419 of 16 June 2015. The position has not changed.

As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of personnel, 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 am informed by the Garda Commissioner that where a vacancy exists at the rank of Superintendent it is the practice of Garda management to allocate a member of Inspector rank to act at the rank of Superintendent, pending the filling of the vacancy by way of Competition. I understand that for operational reasons it is not the policy of the Commissioner to disclose where current vacancies exist.

I have been further informed by the Garda Commissioner that in total there has been 38 newly appointed Superintendents since 3 February 2015.