John Lahart (Dublin South West, Fianna Fail)
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37. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will outline the changes in Garda numbers in Tallaght and Rathfarnham Garda stations since 2017; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35627/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, which includes decisions on the deployment of personnel among the various Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.

I am assured that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of policing priorities and crime trends, to ensure their optimal use. I understand that it is a matter for the Divisional Chief Superintendent to determine the distribution of duties among the personnel available to them, having regard to the profile of each area within the Division and its specific needs.

The Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs, with an unprecedented allocation provided in Budget 2022 of over €2 billion. The Deputy may be aware that there was a very strong interest in the recent Garda recruitment campaign, with over 11,000 people applying to become a member. The recruitment process is continuing to identify candidates to enter the Garda College over the coming period.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that on 31 May 2022, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 264 Garda members assigned to the Tallaght Garda District, which is made up of the Tallaght and Rathfarnham stations. This represents an increase of over 10% since 2017 when there 239 Garda members assigned to the Tallaght and Rathfarnham stations.

For the Deputy's information, further detailed information in relation to Garda numbers is available on my Department’s website. This information is updated every month with the latest data provided by An Garda Síochána, and includes the number of Gardaí by station across the whole country.

Jennifer Murnane O'Connor (Carlow-Kilkenny, Fianna Fail)
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38. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the action that is planned in relation to increasing Garda numbers, given the Census results; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35670/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I can assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs, not least in the context of the growing population referred to. An unprecedented allocation of over €2 billion is provided in Budget 2022 and we will continue to support An Garda Síochána in recruiting Garda members and Garda staff over the coming years, including through the current recruitment process which is identifying candidates to enter the Garda College over the coming period.

The Deputy may be aware that there was strong interest in the recent Garda recruitment campaign, with over 11,000 people applying to become a member, which is more than double the number of applications from the last competition in 2019. I want to commend An Garda Síochána for the significant efforts that are being made to encourage diversity among members, which is reflective of modern society in Ireland, with notable increases in numbers applying from minority backgrounds including Travellers, Black Irish and Asian Irish.

At the 31 May 2022 there were 14,347 Garda members. These Garda members are supported by 3,124 Garda staff. This represents respective increases of almost 11% and 56% since 2016 when there were 12,943 Garda members and 1,999 Garda staff nationwide.

In addition to plans for continued recruitment and the expansion of the organisation, one of the key objectives in Justice Plan 2022 is the development of An Garda Síochána as a leading edge and accountable policing service through the implementation of A Policing Service for our Future (APSFF). A range of measures are being taken to improve the delivery of policing, to bring more Gardaí to the frontline, and to provide a greater focus on community policing based on local needs. In this regard, I can inform the Deputy that, as of 31 May 2022, a total of 872 members have returned to frontline duties.

James Lawless (Kildare North, Fianna Fail)
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39. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the status of plans to roll out facial recognition technology for use in policing; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [35658/22]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Government approved the publication of the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Bill, previously called the Digital Recordings Bill, on 21 June. The text of the Bill will be available shortly. This important Bill makes provision for Garda powers to use modern digital technology including body worn cameras, automatic number plate recognition (ANPR) and CCTV.

I also received Government approval to introduce amendments to the Bill at committee stage providing for the use of facial recognition technology. The amendments will set out how the new provisions will operate in practice. The exact parameters of these amendments have not been decided on and officials from my Department are consulting with relevant stakeholders and looking at international best practice.

I would like to assure the Deputy that safeguards will be built into the legislation and there will be full compliance with GDPR and the Data Protection Act of 2018. These safeguards will include a full human rights and data protection impact assessment.

It is my intention to return to Government for approval of any proposed amendments in the autumn.