Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes all operational and investigative policing matters. As Minister, I have no role in these matters and cannot seek to direct the Commissioner in relation to such.

Operation Pier was commenced in 2015 in the DMR South Central Region to tackle anti-social behaviour and drug dealing in the Temple Bar area. I have been informed by the Garda authorities that Operation Pier is no longer active in its original format having been subsumed into Operation Citizen in 2022.

As the Deputy may be aware, Operation Citizen was implemented on 22 October 2021 for the purpose of providing reassurance to citizens, visitors and the business community that Dublin city centre is a safe place in which to visit, conduct business, socialise and enjoy its amenities. It aims to deliver a high-visibility policing presence in the city centre on a daily basis.

An Garda Síochána have also advised that they are unable to provide drug seizure values based on PULSE data. The official source for reporting of drug types, quantities and values is the An Garda Síochána Annual Report following analysis and verification by Forensic Science Ireland. The report for 2022, published last October, can be viewed at the following link: www.garda.ie/en/about-us/publications/annual%20reports/an-garda-siochana-annual-reports/an-garda-siochana-annual-report-2022.pdf

To be of assistance to the Deputy, a search of the PULSE database was conducted for Prisoner Logs, Charges and Summons associated with Incidents in the Pearse Street and Store Street Districts with a reported date between 1 January 2017 and 31 December 2022. The table below shows the number of arrests, charges and summons by year. These figures relate to all operational activity and not limited to one operation.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. Unfortunately, the information was not received in time. I will contact the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda authorities. Unfortunately, the information was not received in time. I will contact the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I understand that Parliamentary Question No. 413 of 20 February 2024 refers to the number of competitions held for sworn Gardaí to apply to join the National Support Services Unit in 2023 and to date in 2024.

As the Deputy will appreciate, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for managing and controlling generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána, including the training of its members and civilian staff. I, as Minister, have no role in the matter.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that there have been four competitions held for sworn Gardaí to join the Operational Support Services Unit, formally known as the National Support Services Unit. I am further advised that two of the competitions were held in 2023 and two have been held in 2024, to date.

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, including all matters relating to recruitment and training. As Minister I have no direct role in these matters.

The Garda authorities have informed me that the location where training courses take place is dictated by numerous factors and not solely by where those receiving the training are based. As such, the number of Garda members from the DMR West Division who received Family Liaison Officer training can be provided. I am further informed that fewer than 10 members were trained in each of the years requested by the Deputy.

I am further advised by Garda authorities that it is not the policy of An Garda Síochána to further report on numbers that are fewer than 10. In cases where the requested figures are fewer than ten, the personnel referenced may be identifiable to the general public, thus posing a potential risk to their safety. Furthermore, An Garda Síochána, along with fellow Government Departments and public bodies, is bound by existing Data Protection legislation; the release of figures of fewer than ten has the potential to compromise the protection and privacy of individuals employed by An Garda Síochána and moreover constitute a breach of this legislation and the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy is aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible, by law, for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including the recruitment and training of Garda members and staff. As Minister I play no role in the training of Garda members, or in arrangements for such training.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that in the Garda College 2024 Training Plan, there are seven CBD3 Courses scheduled with eight participants per Course. Therefore 56 participants will be detailed to attend CBD3 training this year.

Training takes place in the Garda College and is a three week course.

In order to train an additional 200 Gardaí per year in 2024, 2025 and 2026, this would require the Garda College to run a further 25 courses per year with eight participants per course.

The Overtime and Travel and Subsistence cost for this additional training is estimated at €42,775 per year. There would also be associated fleet costs, for which an estimate is unavailable.

Outside of the additional costs to run this training, I am further advised that it would not be possible for the Garda College to run this additional training with its current resources and delivery method. If this training was to proceed it would be at the expense of CBD2 training places which have been deemed an organisational training need priority.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As you may be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), which includes all operational policing matters. As Minister, I play no role in these independent functions.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that a search of the PULSE database was conducted on 3 March 2023 for arrests between 1 January 2023 to 21 March 2024 (the latest date for which figures are available) in which the station of custody was recorded as Store Street.

Based on the numbers returned, the table below shows the count of arrests by year.

Please note that this incident data is based upon operational data from the PULSE system as was available on 21/03/2024 and is liable to change.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The unprecedented allocation of over €2.35 billion to An Garda Síochána in 2024, a 25% increase since 2020, demonstrates the Government's commitment to ensuring the Gardaí have provision for the equipment, technology, facilities, fleet and personnel it needs to carry out vital policing work.

As you will be aware, by law the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration of An Garda Síochána, including the distribution of Garda members between the various Garda Units.

As Minister, I have no role in these operational matters, however, I am assured that the Garda Commissioner keeps under review the need to fill vacancies as operationally required.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that the information requested by the Deputy is contained in the table below. The information supplied is as of 8 April 2024, and is operational and subject to change.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 869 and 870 together.

As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including the purchase, allocation, and effective and efficient use of Garda vehicles. As Minister, I have no role in these independent functions.

While the enforcement of road traffic legislation is an operational matter for the Garda authorities, I am assured by the Garda Commissioner that road traffic legislation is enforced as part of the day-to-day duties of An Garda Síochána.

The unprecedented allocation of over €2.35 billion for 2024 to An Garda Síochána 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.

There are now 3,513 vehicles in the Garda fleet, the highest ever and a 34% increase since 2015, which includes 2,655 cars, 562 vans, 140 motorcycles, 103 4x4 and 53 others. (*The category 'others' refers to MPV, SUV, Minibus or Prisoner Conveyance Vehicles).

I have been advised by the Garda authorities that as of 20 March 2024 there were four cars attached to the DMR North Roads Policing Unit. I am further advised that there were no motorcycles attached to the Unit on this date.

I am informed that as of 25 March 2024, the latest date for when figures are available, there were four Command and Control vehicles attached to the Garda fleet. I am further advised that no Command and Control vehicles were allocated to or removed from the Garda fleet in 2023 or in 2024, up to 25 March.

I have been assured by An Garda Síochána that the allocation of vehicles is made on the basis of identified operational demands and the availability of resources and the allocation of vehicles is monitored and reviewed on a continual basis to ensure the best match with operational requirements.

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As you may be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), which includes all operational policing matters. As Minister, I play no role in these independent functions.

I have been informed that Garda College only delivers Vehicle Stopping Devices (Stinger) Instructor Courses at a national level to Garda Members based in each division. Members who receive this course are then qualified to act as instructors on the use of stinger devices who then train members as required within their Divisions.

The table below gives details of the Vehicle Stopping Devices (Stinger) Instructor Courses delivered by the Garda College to Roads Policing Units in the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR).

As the Vehicle Stopping Devices (Stinger) User Courses are then delivered by these Divisional Instructors to members of Road Policing Units in the DMR, the records of those retained within each Division are retained at a Divisional level.

This data was correct and up to date as of 8 April 2024.