Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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470. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide a report on the work of the Garda special crime task force; the number of gardaí assigned to it on 1 January 2017; the number assigned on 1 July 2017; if all its members are based in Dublin; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35367/17]

Jonathan O'Brien (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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500. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí allocated to the Garda special crime task force during each of the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35618/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 470 and 500 together.

As the Deputies will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources among the various Garda Divisions and Districts and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. I am assured by the Commissioner that personnel assigned throughout the country, together with the overall policing arrangements and operational strategies, are continually monitored and reviewed.

As part of the range of measures which have been put in place to deal with gang-related crime in the Dublin area, a Garda Special Crime Task Force was established and has been in operation in the Dublin Metropolitan Region since July 2016. The Task Force is under the control of the Garda Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, and operates in cooperation with other agencies including the Revenue Commissioners and Department of Social Protection and has the benefit of the expertise of members of the Criminal Assets Bureau, Garda Divisional Asset Profilers, and the Garda Síochána Analysis Service.

I have requested the information sought by the Deputies from the Commissioner and will reply to the Deputies when it is to hand.