David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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465. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of full-time equivalent staff attached to the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau in each of the years 1996 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35940/18]

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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468. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of staff in the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau by position in each of the years 2007 to 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35951/18]

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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469. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of staff in the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau by job title in each of the years 2007 to 2017, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35952/18]

David Cullinane (Waterford, Sinn Fein)
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470. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of forensic accountants, accountants, lawyers and gardaí in the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau in each of the years 2007 to 2017; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35953/18]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 465 and 468 to 470, inclusive, together.

As the Deputy will appreciate, the distribution of personnel is a matter for the Garda Commissioner and I, as Minister have no direct role in the matter. I am assured by the Commissioner that Garda personnel assigned throughout the country, together with overall policing arrangements and operational strategies, are continually monitored and reviewed. Such monitoring ensures that optimum use is made of Garda Resources and the best possible Garda service is provided to the general public.

I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (GNECB) was established on 1 September 2016. The Bureau has dedicated expert staff, including professional forensic accountants, to address white collar and other fraud and economic crimes.

I am further informed by the Commissioner that as of 31 July 2018, the latest date for which figures are available there were 73 Gardaí and 14 Garda civilian staff assigned to the GNECB. 

The Commissioner also advises that Garda management within the Bureau are working with local Garda management, at District and Divisional levels, to ensure the necessary tools and training are provided to enable and empower District and Divisional resources to investigate cases of economic crime at that level, with advice and guidance available from within the Bureau. The Bureau is now also placing a greater emphasis on ensuring that economic crime of lesser amounts that are currently reported to the Bureau are assessed and transmitted to District Officers for investigation, with more complex cases, routinely involving significant amounts, being investigated by the Bureau.

For the Deputy’s information I have set out below in the following table, the number of Gardaí by rank and civilians by grade attached to the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau as of 31 December 2016, 2017 and on 31 July 2018 the latest date for which figures are currently available, as supplied by the Commissioner.

Strength Of The Garda National Economic Crime Bureau by rank 2016-2018

*Up to 31 July 2018

Civilian Strength by grade in the Economic Crime Bureau 2016-2018

*Up to 31 July 2018

1 District Finance Officer