Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Community policing 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.

I want to emphasise 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.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for the management of An Garda Síochána, including the distribution of Garda members between the different Garda units and 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 to ensure their optimal use.

The Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities and a strengthened, well-resourced Garda Síochána is central to this policy. Funding has been provided for up to 1,000 new Gardaí this year and we are seeing more Garda recruits enter Templemore every 11 weeks.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that a member of An Garda Síochána can be deemed to be a ‘Community Garda’ where that member is allocated to a Community Policing Team (CPT) and is responsible and accountable for applying a problem–solving approach to appropriate crime and policing quality of life issues in a specified geographic area through partnership and engagement.

I am also advised that in some rural areas, the existing personnel will form CPTs. They will have dual functions as first responders and community policing members. Additionally, CPTs will be augmented by Community Support Gardaí who will perform frontline duties and will be assigned a particular Community Policing Area to support dedicated Community Gardaí.

I understand that each Division will have a number of CPTs assigned to it, consisting of an Inspector, Sergeant and Community Policing Gardaí. CPTs will prioritise engagement with communities for the delivery of long-term sustainable solutions to community needs.

I can inform the Deputy that at the end of May 2023, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 36 Community Gardaí assigned to Cork City Division which represents an increase of 50% since end December 2018. I am further advised by the Garda authorities that as of 31 May there are 2 Community Gardaí assigned to Ballincollig Garda station. This number has remained the same throughout 2023. Please note the figures provided are operational and may be subject to change.

In the interest of transparency, detailed statistics on Garda workforce numbers are published on gov.ie and are updated regularly by my Department from information provided by An Garda Síochána. The statistics can be accessed using the following link:

www.gov.ie/en/publication/bd777-an-garda-siochana-your-police-service-some-facts-and-figures/.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities. Everyone, no matter where in the country they live, deserves to be safe and to feel safe. This is central to the Government’s community safety policy.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business and he determines the distribution of Gardaí throughout the State. I do not have a role in these matters.

The Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI) recognised that community safety is not solely the responsibility of the Gardaí, or my Department, but rather, it is a whole of Government responsibility.

The Deputy may be aware that a number of actions are in progress under 'A Policing Service For Our Future', the Government's implementation plan for the recommendations of the CoFPI report.

This includes the Garda Commissioner's roll out of the new Garda Operating model, which seeks to release front-line Gardaí from roles that can be effectively carried out by civilian Garda staff. The purpose of the new operating model is to increase Garda visibility, community engagement and the deployment of specialist services throughout the country, and seeks to reflect and address the realities of modern-day policing.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that, under the Operating Model, the current Cork North and Cork West Divisions will amalgamate in the future to form the Cork County Division.

Planning for the implementation of the Operating Model is progressing for the Cork County Division and precise dates will be agreed with the division in the coming months subject to their readiness to proceed.

Under the new Model, each Division (including the new Cork County Division) will be comprised of the four following Functional Areas:

• Community Engagement under the leadership of a Superintendent
• Crime under the leadership of a Detective Superintendent
• Performance Assurance under the leadership of a Superintendent
• Business Services under the leadership of an Assistant Principal (Garda Staff)

Implementation of the Operating Model in the Cork County Division will initially focus on establishing the Business Services Functional Area which will reduce the amount of administrative activities held by Garda members at present in the Division. In addition, planning permission for the new Divisional Headquarters for Cork County Division based in Macroom, Co Cork has been granted and the station has been decoupled from the PPP bundle to allow the project to progress faster.

Separately, the Cork City Division established each of the Functional Areas under the Operating Model listed above on 7 August 2022.