Written answers

Tuesday, 25 September 2018

Department of Justice and Equality

Garda Deployment

Photo of Maureen O'SullivanMaureen O'Sullivan (Dublin Central, Independent)
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206. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí in the drugs units in Ballymun and Finglas in each of the years 2008 to 2017 and to date in 2018. [38282/18]

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

As the Deputy will be aware all Gardaí have a responsibility in the prevention and detection of criminal activity whether it be in the area of drug offences crime or otherwise. I can assure the Deputy that An Garda Síochána continues to pro-actively and resolutely tackle all forms of drug crime in this jurisdiction.

An Garda Síochána's National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, which was established in 2015, continues to lead out the policing strategy for tackling drugs by demand reduction and supply reduction strategies. In this regard the Bureau continues its policy of working with Garda Divisional Drug Units nationwide in tackling supply reduction at local level.

This work is further supported by other national units, including the Criminal Assets Bureau, in targeting persons involved in the illicit sale and supply of drugs. This approach allows for the co-ordinated use of Garda resources in tackling all forms of organised crime, including illicit drug activity nationwide. Multi-disciplinary approaches are also utilised to ensure that those involved in illicit activity are effectively targeted including through the use of the proceeds of crime legislation, money laundering legislation and the powers of the Criminal Assets Bureau. I am informed that this approach adopts good practice in implementing a co-ordinated use of Garda resources and in utilising available criminal law to its fullest extent in tackling all forms of organised crime, including drug trafficking.

We have also seen unprecedented international cooperation between An Garda Síochána and policing services in other jurisdictions leading to important arrests and drug seizures.

Underpinning all these measures is this Government’s commitment 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. I am informed by the Commissioner that since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, almost 2,200 recruits have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream duties nationwide.

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 needed to him to deploy increasing numbers of Gardaí across the organisation including the Divisional Drugs Units.

Information in relation to Drugs Unit Personnel at the Divisional level, from 2008 onwards, as provided by the Garda Commissioner, is set out in the table following.

Drugs Unit Personnel By Division 2008-2018

Table

DIVISION
2008
2009
2010
2011
2012
2013
2014
2015
2016
2017
D.M.R. EAST
10
9
13
15
13
13
10
10
9
11
D.M.R. NORTH
25
31
34
32
31
27
16
25
21
19
D.M.R. NORTH CENTRAL
15
16
15
18
20
13
20
20
30
14
D.M.R. SOUTH
28
26
30
31
30
23
17
16
17
14
D.M.R. SOUTH CENTRAL
22
18
19
16
13
11
19
19
13
9
D.M.R. WEST
32
35
36
35
28
26
24
26
20
17
D.M.R. NSS
2
6
CARLOW/ KILDARE
8
KILDARE
5
6
7
2
2
6
7
8
9
LAOIS/OFFALY
10
10
13
6
3
0
3
0
0
5
MEATH
3
10
10
7
6
4
4
5
8
5
LONGFORD/ WESTMEATH
12
WESTMEATH
7
9
9
7
7
6
5
6
6
WICKLOW
11
11
11
11
3
4
4
4
11
0
CAVAN/ MONAGHAN
11
10
11
8
5
0
0
0
0
5
DONEGAL
8
10
8
12
10
10
8
7
4
4
LOUTH
8
6
7
6
7
6
6
6
6
5
SLIGO/ LEITRIM
8
8
2
7
8
6
8
7
7
14
WATERFORD/ KILKENNY
15
KILKENNY/CARLOW
8
11
8
7
7
5
7
4
5
TIPPERARY
14
10
10
9
8
7
7
8
9
12
WATERFORD
12
12
10
10
9
5
5
5
6
WEXFORD
13
12
12
11
6
4
1
6
6
5
CORK CITY
26
25
27
24
26
29
28
15
20
17
CORK NORTH
8
8
9
7
9
9
5
5
5
5
CORK WEST
6
5
6
7
5
4
3
4
3
5
KERRY
11
11
10
10
6
8
10
9
7
9
LIMERICK
14
19
22
20
12
11
12
14
12
11
CLARE
6
6
9
9
7
6
7
5
5
5
GALWAY
8
13
12
12
11
12
8
12
9
9
MAYO
6
6
7
5
5
5
5
5
5
6
ROSCOMMON/ GALWAY EAST
3
ROSCOMMON/ LONGFORD
8
7
7
6
7
6
6
6
4
TOTAL
341
355
378
361
310
270
253
258
256
236

Table(cont)

DIVISION
Jan-18
Feb-18
Mar-18
Apr-18
May-18
Jun-18
Jul-18
Aug-18
Sep-18
Oct-18
Nov-18
Dec-18
D.M.R. EAST
11
11
11
11
11
11
9
9
D.M.R. NORTH
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
19
D.M.R. NORTH CENTRAL
14
14
14
14
14
19
19
19
D.M.R. SOUTH
16
14
16
16
16
16
16
16
D.M.R. SOUTH CENTRAL
9
9
9
9
9
12
12
12
D.M.R. WEST
16
17
17
17
16
16
16
16
D.M.R. NSS
CARLOW/ KILDARE
KILDARE
9
11
11
11
11
11
11
11
LAOIS/OFFALY
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
MEATH
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
6
LONGFORD/ WESTMEATH
WESTMEATH
6
6
6
6
6
7
7
7
WICKLOW
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
CAVAN/ MONAGHAN
5
5
5
6
6
6
4
4
DONEGAL
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
4
LOUTH
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
4
SLIGO/ LEITRIM
14
14
14
4
4
4
4
4
WATERFORD/ KILKENNY
KILKENNY/CARLOW
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
TIPPERARY
12
12
11
11
11
11
11
9
WATERFORD
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
WEXFORD
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
CORK CITY
17
16
16
15
15
18
18
18
CORK NORTH
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
5
CORK WEST
5
3
3
6
6
6
6
6
KERRY
9
9
9
10
10
10
10
10
LIMERICK
8
7
7
8
8
8
8
8
CLARE
5
5
5
4
4
4
4
4
GALWAY
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
9
MAYO
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
6
ROSCOMMON/ GALWAY EAST
ROSCOMMON/ LONGFORD
4
4
4
3
3
3
3
3
TOTAL
234
231
232
224
223
235
231
230

For more general information on Garda Facts and Figures please see the link below

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