Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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477. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if funding has been secured in 2022 for the purchase of additional dogs for the Garda dog unit and additional horses for the Garda mounted unit; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57424/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible under the law for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including any decisions in relation to the allocation and control of Garda equipment and resources. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.

An Garda Síochána have informed me that in 2021 four dogs were purchased for the Garda Dog Unit. I am also informed that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, plans sanctioned in 2020 to further expand the Dog Unit were delayed, however it is hoped that the expansion will commence in 2022 with the delivery of an extra 10 canines to the North Western Region. This expenditure will be met from existing funding.

I am further informed that there are no plans to expand the Garda Horse Unit. For reasons of capacity, horse purchases are only made when a horse retires.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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478. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda cars and motorcycles attached to Donegal roads policing unit as of 31 December 2020 and 12 November 2021, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57425/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, but I have not received this information in time. I will write to the Deputy as soon as the information is to hand.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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479. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí in DMR north Garda division that have taken basic or refresher public order training in the years of 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form; if new public order training course for this division will occur before the end of the year; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57426/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible under the law for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána including the deployment and training of personnel. I have no direct role in these independent functions.

However, to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have been provided with the table below by the Garda authorities which provides the information requested.

DMR North Division

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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480. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if funding has been secured for the purchase of additional Garda public order unit vans in 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57428/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including the purchase, allocation, and effective and efficient use of Garda vehicles. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.

Budget 2022 will provide over €2 billion to An Garda Síochána. Funding for the continual capital investment in An Garda Síochána Fleet Management has been provided for under the 2021-2030 National Development Plan. I am informed by the Garda authorities that the number and types of vehicles to be procured with this funding will be based on identified operational needs and the availability of resources, and decisions regarding the purchase and allocation of Garda vehicles are reviewed on a continual basis. I am further informed that the type and quantity of vehicles to be purchased in 2022 is currently under consideration.

For the Deputy's information, the Garda Authorities have provided the below table, outlining the number of public order vans currently deployed in the Garda fleet, broken down by region, as at 22 November 2021.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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481. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda cars and vans attached to Kerry Garda division as of 1 January 2021 and 15 November 2021, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57429/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including the purchase and distribution of Garda resources, including Garda vehicles. As Minister for Justice, I have no direct role in these matters.

I am advised however, that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review to ensure their optimum use in light of identified operational needs and emerging crime trends.

I have been provided with the information contained in the below table by the Garda authorities, outlining that as at 31^stDecember 2020 there were 51 Garda cars and 13 Garda vans attached to Kerry Garda Division and that as at 29^thOctober 2021, the latest date for when figures are available, there were 52 Garda cars and 11 Garda vans attached to the same division.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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482. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if funding has been secured for the issuing of tasers to front-line gardaí; if not, the reason; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57430/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I understand that there are currently no plans on the part of An Garda Síochána for the further expansion or widespread deployment of conductive electrical devices (CEDs, commonly referred to as tasers) within the organisation.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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483. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank attached to H district drugs unit as of 1 January 2021 and 15 November 2021, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57431/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible under the law for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including personnel matters and deployment of resources. As Minister, I have no role in these independent functions. I am assured, however, that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities, to ensure their optimum use.

The budget provided by Government to the Garda Commissioner continues to increase to unprecedented levels, with an allocation of €1.952 billion for 2021. Budget 2022 provides over €2 billion in funding. This significant investment by the Government has allowed for sustained and ongoing investment into An Garda Síochána and for the recruitment of new Gardaí. Budget 2022 provides for funding to recruit an additional 800 Garda members in 2022, subject to the public health situation.

The H District referred to by the Deputy is located within the DMR North Division. This District refers to the Garda stations located at Ballymun, Dublin Airport and Santry. The table below, furnished to me by the Garda authorities, provides the most recent figures available of the number of Garda members attached to the Drugs Unit in the DMR North Division.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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484. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank attached to community policing unit at Coolock Garda station in each of the past five years in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57432/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, but I have not received this information in time. I will write directly to the Deputy as soon as the information is to hand.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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485. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if there are plans to purchase high powered unmarked motorcycles for Garda roads policing unit teams; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57433/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, but I have not received this information in time. I will write to the Deputy as soon as the information is to hand.

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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486. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank attached to Clare drugs unit in each of the past three years in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [57434/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible under the law for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including personnel matters and deployment of resources. As Minister, I have no role in these independent functions. I am assured, however, that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities, to ensure their optimum use.

The budget provided by Government to the Garda Commissioner continues to increase to unprecedented levels, with an allocation of €1.952 billion for 2021. Budget 2022 provides over €2 billion in funding. This significant investment by the Government has allowed for sustained and ongoing investment into An Garda Síochána and for the recruitment of new Gardaí. Budget 2022 provides for funding to recruit an additional 800 Garda members in 2022, subject to the public health situation.

In addition to allowing for increased recruitment generally, these additional Budget resources will also enable An Garda Síochána to assign resources to Specialist Bureaus such as the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau who lead on the strategy for tackling drugs and works with Garda Divisional Drug Units nationwide in demand reduction and supply reduction at local level.

The below table shows the number of Garda members attached to the Clare drugs unit in each of the years specified by the Deputy: