Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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312. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of appointed detectives in each Garda division, in tabular form. [32526/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, 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 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 to 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. Funding has also been provided for the recruitment of 300 Garda Reserves.

This plan is progressing apace. I am informed by the Commissioner, since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, that almost 1,200 recruits have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream duties nationwide. I am also informed that a further 400 Garda recruits are scheduled to attest later this year which will see Garda numbers, taking account of projected retirements, increase to around the 13,500 mark by year end, an increase of 500 since the end of 2016.

This focus on investment in personnel is critical. The moratorium on recruitment introduced in 2010 resulted in a significant reduction in the strength of An Garda Síochána. We are now rebuilding the organisation and providing the Commissioner with the resources she needs to allow her to deploy increasing numbers of Gardaí across every Garda Division.

This investment in personnel is complemented by substantial investment in resources across the board for An Garda Síochána. The Deputy will be aware of the significant resources that have been made available to An Garda Síochána under the Government's Capital Plan 2016 - 2021. In particular, some €205 million in additional funding for Garda ICT and €46 million for new Garda vehicles has been allocated over the lifetime of the plan. This investment will facilitate the provision of more effective policing services and I have no doubt that these new resources now coming on stream will see an increase in Garda visibility in our communities.

I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that the detective strength in each Garda Division on 31 May 2017, the latest date for which figures are readily available, was as set out in the following table.

An Garda Síochána Detective Strengths 31 May 2017

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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313. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of community gardaí in each Garda division, in tabular form. [32527/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda Commissioner in relation to the number of Community Gardaí in each Garda Division and I will write to the Deputy on receipt of same.