Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including personnel matters and deployment of resources. The allocation of Garda resources is made in light of identified operational demand. This includes deployment of personnel among the various Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no direct role in the matter.

An Garda Síochána has been allocated an unprecedented budget of €1.952 billion for 2021. This level of funding is enabling sustained, ongoing recruitment of Garda members and staff. As a result, Garda numbers are now at approximately 14,600 Garda members and over 3,000 Garda staff nationwide.

I am informed that the commitments and undertakings outlined in the Annual Policing Plan, and the priorities as determined in delivering the A Policing Service for our Future plan are taken into account when consideration is given to the allocation of resources (including newly attested Probationer Gardaí, personnel being allocated to specialist units, e.g. Roads Policing, Community Policing, Divisional Protective Services Units, Divisional Drug Units, etc.) and facilitating transfers of personnel to / from any Division.

The following factors are also taken into account in the context of the requirements of all Garda Divisions nationwide:

- local and national crime trends and workloads;

- policing arrangements and operational strategies;

- minimum establishment statistics;

- local population and trends, geographical area and size;

- transfer applications, including welfare / personnel issues and concerns.

Local and Senior Garda Management are also consulted during the allocation of personnel and are responsible for the specific deployment / assignment of duties being undertaken at Divisional level. The situation remains closely monitored by the Garda Senior Leadership Team, particularly in view of commitments to the continued roll-out of the Operating Model of policing at Divisional level to ensure optimum use of all Garda Resources in providing the best possible Garda service to the community.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the number of Garda members per thousand population in each Garda division is shown in the table below.

The CSO Census figures above are provided by county. The figures in the table below for the individual Dublin Metropolitan Region Divisions and Cork Divisions are as interpolated by the Garda Mapping Section based on 2016 Census figures.

* Garda members in the other six D.M.R. Divisions also have specific Roads Policing duties.