Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

215. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the active number of gardaí at the Roscrea Garda station, County Tipperary; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10266/19]

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

As the Deputy is aware, the manner in which the resources of the Garda Síochána are deployed is solely a matter for the Garda Commissioner and his management team and I, as Minister, have no direct role in this regard.

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 can assure the Deputy that local Garda management in the areas referred to remains resolute in its determination to act against all forms of criminal activity and will work with these communities to prevent and detect crime.

Since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, almost 2,400 Garda recruits have been assigned to mainstream duties nationwide, including 800 trainees who passed out from the college during 2018.

The Government has increased the budget for An Garda Síochána to €1.76 billion for 2019, which includes provision for the recruitment of up to 800 Gardaí this year. The Commissioner has now informed me that he plans to recruit a total of 600 trainee Gardaí in 2019 and 600 Garda Civilian Staff.  This Garda Staff recruitment will allow the Commissioner to redeploy a further 500 fully trained Gardaí from administrative duties to frontline policing in 2019.

I believe that the injection of this large number of experienced officers into the field, along with the new recruits, will be really beneficial in terms of protecting communities. This and on-going recruitment will clearly provide the Commissioner with the resources needed to deploy increasing numbers of Gardaí to deliver a visible effective and responsive policing service to communities across all Garda Divisions including the Tipperary Division.

Roscrea Garda Station is in the Tipperary Division. The Garda strength of the Tipperary Division from 2009 to 31 December 2018 as provided by the Garda Commissioner is as set out in the attached table. We hope to have these figures updated on the website by the end of this week at the link shown below.

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

.

Jackie Cahill (Tipperary, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

216. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí transferred out of County Tipperary in each of the years 2014 to 2018 under headings (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10267/19]

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

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.

I am informed by the Commissioner that the deployment of Garda personnel is continually monitored and reviewed in the context of crime trends and policing priorities to ensure the optimum use of Garda resources. A dynamic distribution model of resource allocation, known as the Cohort model, has been in use by Garda management since 2015 for the allocation of personnel, including newly attested probationer Gardaí from the Garda College. The allocation and transfer of Garda Personnel using the Cohort Model is determined by a number of factors, including crime and non-crime workload, minimum establishment, population, area, policing arrangements and operational strategies. When allocations are taking place, comprehensive consultation is carried out with local management during which all factors are taken into consideration. 

I am advised by the Commissioner that it is not possible to provide the information requested for the number of Gardaí that have transferred out of the Tipperary Division on promotion, to a specialist unit or without replacement.  Whilst there is a policy not to transfer a Garda from a Division without provision of a replacement, in order to deliver an effective policing service, it is essential that Garda management has the flexibility to deploy Garda resources to meet operational policing needs taking account of the Cohort model of resource allocation.