Written answers

Tuesday, 12 June 2018

Department of Justice and Equality

Garda Reserve

Photo of Maurice QuinlivanMaurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

522. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda Reserves in each year since its establishment in 2006. [25164/18]

Photo of Maurice QuinlivanMaurice Quinlivan (Limerick City, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

523. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda Reserves in each Limerick city division; the number of reserves in each division that went on to become gardaí or are in training in each of the past ten years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [25165/18]

Photo of Charles FlanaganCharles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 522 and 523 together.

As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the carrying on and managing generally the administration and business of the An Garda Síochána including arranging for the recruitment, training and appointment of the Reserve members. Further, 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 these matters. 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.

I am advised by the Commissioner that the strength of the Reserve on the 30 April 2018 was 562, 27 of whom are attached to the Limerick Division. 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, since 2014, 246 serving Reserves have successfully applied to become trainee Gardaí, and secondly, resources in both An Garda Síochána and in the Public Appointments Service (PAS) 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.

The "Programme for a Partnership Government" includes a commitment to double the Garda Reserve to act in a supportive role undertaking local patrols and crime reduction measures. In line with this, the Government has in place a plan to achieve a Reserve strength of 2,000 by 2021.

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 last March. That competition attracted 2,394 applicants of whom 498 successfully completed the initial stages carried out by PAS. These applications are currently being processed by the Garda Appointments Office. The time frame for this can vary due to a number factors, including the length of the vetting process which may, for example, be more time consuming if the applicant has resided abroad or is deferred for medical reasons. It is expected that the first of the successful candidates will commence training in the Garda College in the coming months.

In conjunction with the major expansion of the Reserve over the next number of years, we must ensure that it is used optimally to support effective policing. To inform future decisions around the use of the Reserve, An Garda Síochána is conducting a strategic review as a matter of priority to be completed in the first half of the year as set out in the Policing Plan 2018.

As a first step, the Garda Executive has taken a decision to transfer the management of the Reserve to the Assistant Commissioner with responsibility for Community Engagement. This is intended to ensure that its development and deployment is viewed more broadly through a community policing lens. This is a very welcome step as it is my strong view that the greatest dividend to be gained from the Reserve is in terms of a visible presence on the ground and engaging with local communities.

For the Deputy's information I have set out in the tables the number of Reserves in each of the years requested by the Deputy in tabular form. I also include a table setting out the total number of Garda Reserves who have commenced training as a Garda Trainee from 2007 up to May 2018. Please note, that due to the moratorium on recruitment introduced in 2010 there was no recruitment of Garda Trainees from 2010 until 2014.

Garda Reserve 2006 - 2018

Year2006200720082009201020112012
Total36217331478700877991
Year201320142015201620172018*
Total11641124953695589562

*Up to 30 April 2018.

Garda Reserves who have commenced as Garda Trainees from 2007 up to May 2018

YearDivisionNo. of ReservesTotal
2007DMR North Central1
DMR South Central1
DMR North13
2008Cork City2
Cork North1
DMR North1
DMR North Central3
DMR South1
DMR South Central4
DMR West2
Galway2
Sligo/Leitrim1
Tipperary1
Waterford1
Wicklow120
2009DMR North3
DMR North Central1
DMR South Central1
Kilkenny/Carlow1
Cavan/Monaghan17
2014Cork City2
Cork West1
DMR East1
DMR North3
DMR North Central3
DMR South6
Donegal1
Galway3
Kerry2
Kildare1
Kilkenny/Carlow1
Laois/Offaly1
Limerick2
Louth1
Mayo1
Meath2
Tipperary1
Waterford234
2015Cavan/Monaghan1
Clare2
Cork City2
Cork North3
Cork West4
DMR North4
DMR North Central6
DMR South2
DMR South Central3
DMR West5
Galway3
Kerry1
Kildare1
Laois/Offaly1
Louth3
Mayo1
Meath4
Roscommon/Longford1
Sligo/Leitrim2
Tipperary4
Waterford2
Westmeath1
Wexford1
Wicklow158
2016Cavan/Monaghan2
Cork City9
Cork North3
Cork West6
DMR East2
DMR North2
DMR North Central9
DMR South2
DMR South Central3
DMR West11
Donegal4
Galway2
Kerry4
Kildare6
Kilkenny/Carlow5
Laois/Offaly1
Limerick9
Louth2
Mayo5
Meath3
Sligo/Leitrim2
Tipperary4
Waterford2
Westmeath1
Wexford7
Wicklow2108
2017DMR South Central1
Cavan/Monaghan1
Cork City5
Cork West1
DMR East2
DMR North Central2
DMR South1
DMR South Central1
Donegal2
Galway1
Kerry1
Kildare2
Limerick3
Louth2
Roscommon/Longford2
Sligo/Leitrim1
Tipperary2
Waterford333
2018Cork West2
DMR North1
DMR South2
DMR South Central1
Donegal1
Kildare1
Laois/Offaly1
Louth1
Meath1
Roscommon/Longford1
Wexford113
Total276

Comments

No comments

Log in or join to post a public comment.