Jack Chambers (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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49. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí currently assigned to each divisional drugs unit in tabular form. [23605/16]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and Districts, and I as Minister have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keep 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.

I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the number of members of An Garda Síochána currently assigned to each Divisional Drugs Unit as of the 31 May 2016, the latest date for which figures are readily available, is as set out in the table beneath.

I have also been informed by the Garda Commissioner that where there are no members assigned to a Divisional Drugs Unit, the Detective Branch take a lead role in the enforcement of drug related legislation in conjunction with the Garda National Drugs Unit.