Written answers

Wednesday, 12 July 2017

Department of Justice and Equality

Garda Resources

Photo of Bernard DurkanBernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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38. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the extent to which adequate numbers of gardaí are in training at Templemore with particular reference to the need to increase Garda strength at the various stations throughout the country and with reference to those areas deemed to have experienced greatest reductions during the economic downturn; the targets to increase Garda strength over the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32966/17]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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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.

Taking account of projected retirements, reaching a strength of 15,000 by 2021 will require some 2,400 new Garda members to be recruited on a phased basis over the next three years in addition to the 2,000 recruited that will have been recruited by the end of this year since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014.

In 2017, 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. I am engaging with my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, in relation to ensuring funding is available to allow sufficient recruitment into An Garda Síochána in 2018 and the coming years so that the planned overall Garda workforce of 21,000 is achieved.

The workforce plan is progressing apace. So far this year, there have been two intakes to the Garda College of two hundred trainees in February and May with a further two intakes of 200 planned for August and November giving a total intake of 800. It is expected that the planned schedule of intakes will continue into 2018. Last Thursday a class of 198 Garda trainees attested as members of An Garda Síochána - the largest class to attest since the Garda College reopened in September to 2014. This brings the number of new recruits who have attested since the College reopened to almost 1,200, with another four hundred scheduled to attest later this year. This will bring Garda numbers to 13,500 by year-end once projected retirements are taken into account - an increase of 500 over last year. In addition to this, a further 800 Garda trainees are expected to attest in 2018.

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 the organisation.

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.

In so far as the allocation of newly attested Gardaí is concerned, I am assured by the Commissioner that the needs of all Garda Divisions are fully considered when determining the allocation of resources. However, it is important to keep in mind that newly attested Gardaí have a further 16 months of practical and class-room based training to complete in order to receive their BA in Applied Policing. To ensure that they are properly supported and supervised and have opportunities to gain the breadth of policing experience required, the Commissioner's policy is to allocate them to specially designated training stations which have the required training and development structures and resources in place, including trained Garda tutors and access to a permanently appointed supervisory Sergeant who is thoroughly familiar with their responsibilities under the training programme.

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