Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
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558. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if her Department will open a public consultation for the extension of Garda youth diversion projects to cover 18-24 year olds; the timeline for same; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6007/22]

James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Minister McEntee and I published the Youth Justice Strategy 2021-27 in April 2021. The Strategy is designed to provide a developmental framework to address key ongoing challenges, as well as new and emerging issues in the youth justice area.

This includes preventing offending behaviour from occurring and diverting children and young adults who commit a crime away from further offending and involvement with the criminal justice system. It will also provide for enhanced criminal justice processes, detention and post-detention measures to provide consistent support to encourage desistance from crime and promote positive personal development for young offenders.

Action 2.9.5 of the Strategy relates to assessing the potential of Youth Diversion Projects (or similar) to provide suitable diversionary programmes for the 18-24 years age group. In line with this action, my Department will shortly open a public consultation process on approaches to diverting young adults in the 18-24 age group away from crime, with a view to developing more effective measures which will lead to behaviour change.

The aim is to steer young adults away from repeated offending, and towards positive life choices. Statistically, the 18-24 age group accounts for a significant volume of offending, so we need to engage more effectively to promote behaviour change as well as confronting with the immediate effects of criminal acts.

Dedicated cross-agency oversight structures have been established to monitor and support the implementation of the Youth Justice Strategy, and these are further assisted by a Youth Justice Advisory Group, which I chair, that provides a standing forum to reflect views and concerns from the community sector and expert stakeholders. The commitment in the strategy to evidence-informed policies and practice is further enhanced through a Research Evidence into Policy Programmes and Practice (REPPP) Advisory Group which allows input from the wider research community to support the REPPP research partnership with University of Limerick.

I am pleased to note that the additional €6.7m provided for in Budget 2022 represents an increase of in excess of one third in support for youth justice services. It provides the resources to kick-start delivery of key objectives in the Youth Justice Strategy and, in particular, the programme to expand and deepen the range of supports made available through local YDP services.

Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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559. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of vacancies in An Garda Síochána across the Dublin metropolitan region by division and rank from chief superintendent to sergeant in each of the years 2016 to 2021, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [6016/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will appreciate, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes responsibility for decisions in relation to the allocation and control of Garda personnel and resources. As Minister, I have no role in these matters.

Budget 2022 has provided an unprecedented allocation of in excess of €2 billion to An Garda Síochána, which includes funding for the recruitment of up to an additional 800 Gardaí and a further 400 Garda staff, subject to the public health situation. This significant investment demonstrates the Government's commitment to increasing the Garda workforce to enable the organisation to keep our communities safe.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that while certain more senior ranking positions are identified as vacant when the incumbent moves from the post, the majority of resources in An Garda Síochána are allocated on the basis of policing need and as such the concept of a vacancy arising when a member moves is not applicable. Vacancies in senior positions are filled at the earliest opportunity either through competition or in the short-term by an officer acting up in the position.

On the basis that vacancies are reportable on a national basis only, I am advised that it is not possible to provide an answer to the question posed by the Deputy in this instance. Information on the number of vacancies is subject to change and will only ever be applicable at that particular point in time.

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

Also taken into account in the context of the requirements of all Garda Divisions nationwide are local and national crime trends and workloads; policing arrangements and operational strategies; minimum establishment statistics; local population and trends; geographical area and size; and transfer applications, including welfare/personnel issues and concerns.

To ensure the continued level of delivery of policing services within Garda Divisions, local and Senior Garda Management are also consulted during the allocation of personnel and are responsible for the specific deployment and 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.

For the Deputy's information, the allocation of Garda members across the Dublin metropolitan region by Division is published on my Department's website and can be accessed using the following link: www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Garda_Workforce.