John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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272. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda Reserves in Dublin in each of the years 2010 to 2016 and to date in 2017, in tabular form; the number of Garda Reserves on duty since the formation of the government in 2016; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30857/17]

John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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273. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda Reserves that have been recruited since the formation of the government; the number that have left the force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [30858/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 272 and 273 together.

As the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. 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.

This Government is committed 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. To make this a reality for all, the Government has in place a plan to achieve an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021 comprising 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Reserve members and 4,000 civilians. This plan is progressing well. This year, funding has been provided for the recruitment of 800 Garda recruits and up to 500 civilians to support the wide ranging reform plan in train in An Garda Síochána. Funding has also been provided for the recruitment of 300 Garda Reserves.

The strength of the Garda Reserve on 30 April 2016 and 31 May 2017 (the latest date for which figures are readily available) was 883 and 638 respectively.

It is regrettable that there has been a substantial reduction in the strength of the Reserve in recent years from a peak of 1,164 in 2013. The fall-off arises from a range of factors, not least the lifting in 2014 of the moratorium on recruitment of trainee Gardaí which has affected Reserve numbers in two ways - firstly some 200 serving Reserves have successfully applied to become trainee Gardaí, and secondly, resources in both An Garda Síochána and in the Public Appointment Service have been focused on delivering an accelerated programme of recruitment of full time members of An Garda Síochána. I am sure that the Deputy will agree, notwithstanding the very valuable contribution of Reserve members throughout the country, that it was the right decision, with finite resources, to prioritise the running of recruitment campaigns to replenish the full-time ranks of An Garda Síochána over the last three years. With the plan to reach 15,000 Garda members well on track it was possible for the Commissioner and the Public Appointments Service to undertake a new recruitment campaign for Garda Reserves. That is now in train and will, allowing for the selection process and necessary training of successful candidates, facilitate a start to be made on strengthening of the Reserve across every Garda Division, in the coming years.

For ease of reference, I have provided as supplied by the Commissioner, the detailed information requested by the Deputy in relation the Garda Reserve strength in the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) from 2010 to 31 May 2017 (the latest date for which figures are readily available).