Imelda Munster (Louth, Sinn Fein)
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924. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí who worked in community policing in counties Louth and Meath, respectively, in each of the past five years. [12489/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 865 and 924 together.

Community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána, and all Gardaí have a role to play in community policing in the course of carrying out their duties. Community policing is also fundamental to the new Garda Operating Model which is currently being rolled out across the country, and is fully commenced in ten Garda divisions.

The new model will provide more frontline Gardaí and increased Garda visibility, and will deliver a wider range of policing services for people in their local area. It will divide service delivery within divisions into four functional areas, one of the most important areas being Community Engagement. This will allow for a greater, more consistent, focus on community policing in all divisions.

The Garda authorities have advised that a member of An Garda Síochána can be deemed to be a ‘Community Garda’ where that person 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 very much welcome the new interactive map launched recently on the Garda website which is designed to allow the public to identify the local CPT in their area. This map will continue to develop in line with the continued rollout of the new Garda Operating Model.

While there are designated CPTs within An Garda Síochána, It is important to note that the number of Gardaí assigned to those teams is not an accurate reflection of the number of Gardaí who are carrying out community policing work on a daily basis around the country.

Community Policing Teams strategically manage and lead the development, delivery and evaluation of the Garda Community Policing Framework, and, as I have said, Gardaí assigned to those teams are deemed to be ‘Community Gardaí’. Like other Garda members they also have dual functions. In addition to their strategic roles in their Community Policing Teams, part of which requires them to regularly update their Community Engagement Superintendent on the policing needs of their community, and they are also frontline members.

However, it is important to note that CPTs draw on all frontline Gardaí to carry out community policing. Therefore, just because a Garda may not specifically be deemed a 'Community Garda' by virtue of the fact that they are not assigned to a Community Policing Team, that does not mean that they do not carry out crucial work in that area.

Given the organisational and structural changes outlined above which are a natural consequence of the introduction of the new Garda Operating Model, the provision of number of ‘Community Gardaí’ no longer gives an accurate picture of the number of Gardaí carrying out what was traditionally understood to be the role of the ‘Community Garda’.

As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including the distribution and stationing of Garda members throughout the State. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.

I am however assured that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review to ensure their optimal use.

For the Deputy's information, the number of Community Gardaí by Division from 2008 until February 2024 is published on my Department's website and can be accessed using the following link:

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

Please be advised that this information is operational and may be subject to change.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Síochána Ombudsman Commission (GSOC) is an important independent statutory body established under the Garda Síochána Act 2005. This independence is the hallmark of good oversight. I want to emphasise the vital role that GSOC plays in providing the necessary oversight of An Garda Síochána. As Minister I play no role in these independent functions.

Further, by law the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management of An Garda Síochána, including the training and discipline of Garda members. As Minister I have no direct role in these independent functions, nor can I direct the Commissioner in them.

As the Deputy may be aware, the new Policing Security and Community Safety Act 2023, which I brought forward last year, provides for a suite of new regulations to be made in relation to performance, conduct and standards of professional behaviour in An Garda Síochána. These regulations will replace the current Disciplinary Regulations. Under these new arrangements, the existing disciplinary system for members of An Garda Síochána will be replaced with a system that distinguishes between matters appropriate to behaviour constituting misconduct, and performance management, as recommended by the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland.

The required new processes in this area are currently being developed in consultation with An Garda Síochána and other relevant bodies, including GSOC.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána, and all Gardaí have a role to play in community policing in the course of carrying out their duties. Community policing is also fundamental to the new Garda Operating Model which is currently being rolled out in all 21 Divisions, and is fully commenced in ten.

As the Deputy may be aware the Community Policing Framework was introduced by the Garda Commissioner in 2020. In developing the Framework, An Garda Síochána engaged with key stakeholders, internal and external, to identify the policing requirements of communities.

An Garda Síochána listened to the guidance from their oversight agencies and carefully considered the recommendations contained in relevant reports on delivery of a community policing service (Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland’s report, ‘The Future of Policing in Ireland, 2018’; Garda Síochána Inspectorate Report, ‘Crime Investigation, 2014’ and ‘Policing with Local Communities 2018’; and the KC Consulting Report on Community Policing 2017).

The Framework is accompanied by Community Policing Framework Guidelines for each and every member of An Garda Síochána and Garda staff. The guidelines provide An Garda Síochána with key principles that must be adhered to in order to deliver an effective community policing service, responsive to the needs of a modern and diverse community.

As defined in the guidelines, Community policing is the provision of a policing service to the whole community, both urban and rural, through a partnership-based, proactive, problem-solving style of policing. It is focused on community engagement, crime prevention and law enforcement and addresses crime and policing quality of life issues affecting communities.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, 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 the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, as well as, for decisions on the deployment of personnel among the various Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no role in these matters.

I am, however, assured that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities.

The Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to fight crime. An Garda Síochána has been allocated unprecedented funding of over €2.35 billion for 2024 representing a 25% increase since 2020. This funding will allow for the continued recruitment of Garda members and staff.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that as of 29 February 2024, the latest date for when figures are available, there was a total of 13,930 Garda members nationwide. This represents an increase of almost 9% since the end of December 2015. In addition, the civilianisation programme has freed up almost 900 Garda members from back office work for front line policing work since 2015.

I am also advised by the Garda authorities that at the end of February 2024 there were 318 Garda members assigned to Divisional Drugs Units nationwide. This includes 270 Gardaí, 40 Sergeants and 8 Inspectors. This represents an increase of almost 38% since the end of December 2019 when there were 231 Garda members assigned to these units.

The table below, which was provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the number of Garda members attached to Divisional Drugs Units at the 29 February 2024.

Please note that this information is based upon operational data which has been provided by An Garda Síochána and may be liable to change.