Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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177. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of appointed detectives in each Garda Síochána division at the present time and for the same date in each of the years 2011 to 2015, in tabular form. [21274/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and Districts. Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is made of these resources. The specific information on the number of detectives in each Division on the 31 May 2016, the latest date for which figures are readily available and on the corresponding date 2011 - 2015, was as set out in the following table.

As the Deputy will be aware, when the financial crisis hit, the Government of the time introduced a moratorium on recruitment and the four year National Recovery Plan, published in 2010, envisaged a steady reduction in Garda numbers. Thankfully, in a recovering economy, we were able to reopen the Garda College in September 2014, and a total of 851 Garda trainees have been recruited with a further 300 planned to be recruited during the remainder of this year. So far 534 of the new Garda trainees have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream uniform duties nationwide with another 150 more planned to attest in November.

The Programme for a Partnership Government commits the Government to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country. Key to achieving this goal is the commitment in the Programme tocontinue the ongoing accelerated Garda recruitment programme with a view to increasing Garda numbers to 15,000 as well as doubling the Garda Reserve and increasing the number of civilian staff so as to free-up Gardaí for front-line policing. All Garda activities, will undoubtedly benefit from the resources now coming on stream through the accelerated Garda recruitment programme.

An Garda Síochána Detective Strengths 31 May 2011 – 2016

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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178. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of community gardaí in each Garda Síochána division at the present time and for the same date in each of the years 2011 to 2015 in tabular form. [21275/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and Districts. Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is made of these resources. The specific information on the number of Community Gardaí in each Division on the 31 May 2016, the latest date for which figures are readily available and on the corresponding date 2011 - 2015, is as set out in the table below. The data shows that the number of community Gardaí has fallen from 1,115 in 2011 to 785 at present.

As the Deputy will be aware, when the financial crisis hit, the Government of the time introduced a moratorium on recruitment and the four year National Recovery Plan, published in 2010, envisaged a steady reduction in Garda numbers. Thankfully, in a recovering economy, we were able to reopen the Garda College in September 2014, and a total of 851 Garda trainees have been recruited with a further 300 planned to be recruited during the remainder of this year. So far 534 of the new Garda trainees have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream uniform duties nationwide with another 150 more planned to attest in November.

Of course, it is the case that all Gardaí, not only community Gardaí have a role to play in addressing community policing issues as and when the need arises. In that sense, community policing involves far more than a single unit within An Garda Síochána, a point highlighted by the Garda Inspectorate in their third report entitled "Policing in Ireland - Looking Forward" in which they stated that community policing is a fundamental policing philosophy and that there is a strong foundation for it in Ireland.

The Programme for a Partnership Government recognises that community policing is the embodiment of An Garda Síochána, providing a means of recognising that every community – both urban and rural – has its own concerns and expectations. It commits the Government to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and deter crime. Key to achieving this goal is the commitment in the Programme tocontinue the ongoing accelerated Garda recruitment programme with a view to increasing Garda numbers to 15,000 as well as doubling the Garda Reserve and increasing the number of civilian staff so as to free-up Gardaí for front-line policing. Community policing, and all other Garda activities, will undoubtedly benefit from the resources now coming on stream through the accelerated Garda recruitment programme.

The Garda Commissioner's Modernisation and Renewal Programme 2016-2021, published on 9 June 2016, places a strong emphasis on developing and supporting the community policing ethos of the organisation and enhancing the current delivery model so that Gardaí spend more time in the community, gaining public confidence and trust and providing a greater sense of security. I welcome in particular the proposal to establish local Community Policing Teams (CPTs) headed by an Inspector and made up of Gardaí from across a range of areas to work with the community to prevent and detect crime. The CPTs will take proactive measures to prevent crime from happening in the area. This will entail a combination of crime prevention advice, targeting and disrupting criminals through operations and patrols, and where possible diverting people from committing crime. I also welcome the proposal to establish Community Safety Fora in every District comprising local Gardaí, local communities and key stakeholders. The implementation of these initiatives has started and will be rolled out nationwide.

An Garda Síochána Community Gardaí 31 May 2011 – 2016