Denise Mitchell (Dublin Bay North, Sinn Fein)
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126. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí attached to the community relations unit by rank in the Dublin metropolitan region north to date in 2019. [24398/19]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is statutorily responsible for the management of An Garda Síochána, and I, as Minister, do not have responsibility for this matter.

Garda management keeps the 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.

Community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána as it recognises that every community, either urban or rural, has its own concerns and expectations. The role of a community Garda is not a specialist role in An Garda Síochána; rather it is the case that all Gardaí have a role to play in community policing in carrying out their duties. The official categorisation of Community Garda simply refers to those who are exclusively assigned to building relationships with local communities and civil society including giving talks to schools, community groups and others. It is a matter for the Divisional Chief Superintendent to determine the optimum distribution of duties among the personnel available to him or her having regard to the profile of the area and its specific needs.

The strength of the officially categorised Community Gardaí in each station in the DMR North Division on the 30 April 2019, the latest date for which figures are currently available, as supplied by the Garda Commissioner is as set out in the table.

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

COMMUNITY GARDA 30/04/2019