Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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207. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda Síochána promotional positions waiting to be filled; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35727/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution of personnel among the Garda Regions, Divisions and Districts, the various Garda national units and of course Garda Headquarters. 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. This necessary ongoing flexibility in the distribution of personnel means that it is not feasible to identify specific promotional vacancies within specific areas of the force.

At a national level, sanction has been given by the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform for a maximum strength in each rank. The agreed strengths for ranks above Garda rank are given in the table overleaf, together with current actual strength (as of the end of August 2015). Where current actual strength is below the approved maximum strength, the Garda authorities hold promotion competitions for the filling of the posts.