James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, Youth Diversion Projects (YDPs) are community based, multi-agency youth crime prevention initiatives which primarily seek to divert young people who have been, or are at risk of becoming, involved in anti-social and/or criminal behaviour. Youth Diversion Projects are run by community-based organisations and are a vital support to the statutory Garda Youth Diversion Programme.

A top priority is the expansion and deepening of the services offered to young people by the Youth Diversion Projects, which are fully funded by my Department. These projects provide an invaluable support to complement the work of An Garda Síochána in addressing youth crime and protect local communities.

In Budget 2024, the funding allocated to Youth Justice Services increased by 10% to €33 million. This will facilitate an increase in the availability of YDP services in the evenings and at the weekends when many young people need them the most, as well as an increase in supports for families, interventions for typically hard-to-reach young people and early interventions for 8-11 year olds who may be at increased risk of becoming engaged in criminal activity.

The current network of 106 YDPs is extensive but we will continue to develop it further to ensure every child who needs it is reached. Four new Youth Diversion Projects are in the process of rolling out services with a further two additional projects planned for introduction later this year.

A total of €29 million was allocated to Youth Diversion Projects in 2023, however as the Deputy may appreciate, the funding needs of individual YDPs differ based on a range of criteria, such as the geographical area in which the Project operates, the number of referrals to the YDP and the number of the 'hard to reach' cohort of these referrals, amongst others.

My Department offers funding appropriate to the needs of each YDP and as determined by standard budgetary processes. Funding fluctuates based upon the YDPs' determination of their needs against the available budget for Youth Justice services annually.

Considerable progress has been made to extend the Garda Youth Diversion Project network to ensure that the service is available throughout the State. This has been achieved by extending existing project catchment areas and the allocation of additional staff. There are a small number of areas where this approach would not be suitable and the establishment of new projects in these areas is being progressed as an alternative.

Catchment areas for projects are determined in consultation with local community groups, members of An Garda Síochána and other stakeholders on a case-by-case basis. As the YDPs have evolved organically since their inception, catchment areas vary depending on the project’s background and local needs. Consequently, it is not possible to provide a standard estimate of the cost of additional projects.

Michael Moynihan (Cork North West, Fianna Fail)
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999. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality what actions are being taken to improve the retention and recruitment levels in An Garda Síochána; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [56423/23]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The unprecedented allocation of over €2 billion to An Garda Síochána in 2023 and 2024, demonstrates the Government's commitment to ensuring An Garda Síochána has provision for the equipment, technology, facilities, fleet and personnel it needs to carry out vital policing work. This funding allows for the continued recruitment of Garda members and staff.

As the Deputy may be aware, a new Garda Recruitment competition was launched on 15 January. I am very pleased to see Garda recruits once again regularly entering training at Templemore, and this competition will ensure there is a continuous pipeline of new trainees.

We have put in place measures to make a career in An Garda Síochána more attractive and to lower the barriers to access by increasing the training allowance paid to trainees to €305 per week and increasing the maximum age of recruitment from 35 to 50.

During 2023 we have seen recruitment into An Garda Síochána gain real momentum. While there were 319 retirements and 169 resignations in 2023, 746 trainees entered Templemore last year. This is the highest intake into the Garda college since 2018.

While of course we don't want to see members leaving An Garda Síochána, the numbers leaving remain low. As of November 2023, there were just under 14,000 Garda members with the rate of resignations currently at approximately 1%.

An Garda Síochána have recently introduced their own exit interviews to get a clearer view on why people may choose to resign and, where appropriate, to address issues which may influence retention. These voluntary exit interviews are conducted by a chartered occupational psychologist working within the Garda Human Resources and People Development department.

And with unprecedented funding recently allocated for equipment and wellbeing initiatives, and recent increases in frontline supervisors, I believe those who join will be supported as they take on what I know can be a challenging job.

Both myself and the Commissioner fully recognise that policing is often difficult, challenging but very rewarding work. I am immensely grateful to our Gardaí for their outstanding dedication and commitment to serving the public and for the vital role that they play in keeping people safe.