Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs, with the unprecedented allocation provided in Budget 2023 of €2.14 billion.This unprecedented amount will fund the planned recruitment of up to 1,000 new Garda recruits as well as over 400 Garda staff.

While the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the general management and administration of the Garda organisation, I am assured that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review 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. I am further advised that there are no set requirements to have a specific number of Community Gardaí posts across the Divisions.

The table below, which has been provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the number of Community Gardaí by Division at end December 2016 up to end December 2021 and at 31 October 2022, the latest date for which figures are available.

Community Gardaí by Division	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	31 Oct 2022
D.M.R. EAST	32	34	28	25	21	24	29
D.M.R. NORTH	53	47	51	39	26	61	63
D.M.R. NORTH CENTRAL	110	90	83	75	71	66	56
D.M.R. SOUTH	39	40	42	48	53	58	51
D.M.R. SOUTH CENTRAL	34	30	28	48	57	54	44
D.M.R. WEST	53	64	63	66	86	66	64
KILDARE	0	4	4	7	9	9	10
LAOIS / OFFALY	2	2	8	8	13	13	11
MEATH	9	7	9	6	9	8	6
WESTMEATH	10	8	10	11	7	7	13
WICKLOW	14	14	13	11	10	9	5
CAVAN / MONAGHAN	4	2	0	4	5	16	16
DONEGAL	2	2	4	4	15	17	64
LOUTH	15	12	13	11	15	13	23
SLIGO / LEITRIM	8	6	6	7	10	10	10
KILKENNY/CARLOW	88	85	112	99	94	99	96
TIPPERARY	71	68	72	79	72	73	9
WATERFORD	44	35	35	15	26	22	22
WEXFORD	8	7	6	12	11	11	16
CORK CITY	26	27	24	32	38	40	38
CORK NORTH	8	6	7	7	7	7	7
CORK WEST	5	4	4	4	4	4	4
KERRY	7	9	9	10	9	10	10
LIMERICK	42	38	31	30	31	33	33
CLARE	7	8	8	7	9	9	10
GALWAY	14	14	13	13	19	22	24
MAYO	3	3	1	13	12	12	11
ROSCOMMON / LONGFORD	10	10	11	11	12	11	10
TOTAL	718	676	695	702	751	784	755

*The above information is based upon operational data which has been provided by An Garda Síochána and may be liable to change.

To date, the official categorisation as a Community Garda has simply referred 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 important to note, however, that community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána and that all Gardaí have a role to play in community policing in the course of carrying out their duties.

Indeed, this is fundamental to the new Garda Operating Model recommended by the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland and currently being rolled out under 'A Policing Service for Our Future', the Government's implementation plan for the Commission's recommendations.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for all matters relating to recruitment and personnel within An Garda Síochána. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.

However, to be of assistance I sought the information requested by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána and have been advised that the table below sets out the members of An Garda Síochána who have resigned, broken down by Division, for the years requested, up to 5 December 2022.

Divisions	2016	2017	2018	2019	2020	2021	2022
* Career Break Resignation	3	23	25	8	10	9	11
Cavan/Monaghan	0	0	0	2	0	3	2
Clare	0	0	0	0	0	1	0
Cork City	0	1	3	4	1	3	3
Cork North	0	0	2	1	1	1	3
Cork West	0	0	2	0	0	2	2
D.M.R	9	10	25	31	37	43	60
Donegal	0	1	2	0	3	2	0
Galway	0	0	1	3	0	2	0
Kerry	1	0	0	0	2	1	1
Kildare	1	2	0	3	2	3	1
Kilkenny/Carlow	2	0	2	2	1	1	4
Laois/Offaly	0	0	0	3	1	2	5
Limerick	0	0	1	3	1	1	3
Louth	0	1	1	1	1	4	0
Mayo/Roscommon/Longford	0	1	0	0	1	0	1
Meath	1	1	2	3	0	5	1
Sligo/Leitrim	0	0	0	2	0	2	0
Tipperary	2	1	4	3	2	1	0
Waterford	1	0	3	2	2	3	5
Westmeath	0	0	0	0	0	1	1
Wexford	1	0	2	1	2	4	1
Wicklow	3	0	2	0	2	1	0
Total	24	41	77	72	69	95	104

* These figures are for members who have resigned from the organisation while on Career Break.