Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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387. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 905 of 9 April 2024, if she has received the necessary information from the Garda authorities in order to answer this question. [20640/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I understand that Parliamentary Question No. 905 of 9 April 2024 refers to the number of Gardaí, by rank attached to each protestor removal team within DMR, in tabular form.

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 for the recruitment, training and allocation of Garda members and staff to a given unit. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that training courses available from the Garda College are provided on a needs basis, and with regard to the operational requirements of the Garda organisation.

The purpose of the Protester Remover course is to equip selected members with the skills and training necessary to facilitate the policing of non-violent direct action protests.

To be of assistance, I have contacted the Garda authorities who have informed me that currently there are 27 Gardaí and fewer than 10 Sergeants attached to Protestor Removal teams within the DMR.

I am further advised that the information cannot be broken down by District as 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 10, 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 fewer than 10 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).

You may also be interested to know that, in order to further support front-line Gardaí, including Public Order Units, the Garda Senior Management Team has agreed on a range of measures, which includes the following:

• stronger incapacitant spray,
• expansion of the dog unit,
• increasing public order training,
• more tasers for public order policing, and
• provision of hand-held video cameras for public order units.

Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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388. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Gardai within the DMR who successfully completed a HGV course in the years of 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form; and the duration of this course. [20643/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including Garda training. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that the HGV training course is considered to be a specialised programme and is only provided occasionally and to a small number of Garda members on receipt of a business case for same. I am further informed that the HGV Category C1 course is four days in duration.

I am advised that fewer than 10 Garda members completed the HGV training course in the DMR in 2022. I am further informed that no Garda members have completed the HGV training course in 2023 and to date in 2024.

I am also advised that data is not released by An Garda Síochána for counts less than ten for data protection reasons.

Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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389. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of WTE forensic accountants working in the Criminal Assets Bureau and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau in the years of 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [20644/24]

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 for the recruitment, training and deployment of Garda members. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.

The Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to fight crime. The 2024 allocation provides a budget of over €2.35 billion to An Garda Síochána, representing a 25% increase since 2020. This unprecedented budget will strengthen the work of specialist units within An Garda Síochána.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that there was no appointed WTE forensic accountants working in the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau in 2023 or to date in 2024.

I am further informed that there were 3 Forensic Accountants (WTE) working in the Criminal Assets Bureau in 2023 and this remains unchanged in 2024 to date.