Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

367. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of applicants who applied to be members of An Garda Síochána in its latest recruitment phase. [28652/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The unprecedented allocation of over €2 billion for 2023 and €2.35 billion for 2024 to An Garda Síochána demonstrates the Government's commitment to ensuring An Garda Síochána has provision to recruit the personnel it needs to carry out its vital policing work. This funding allows for the continued recruitment of Garda members and staff.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), including the recruitment and training of Garda members and staff.

A Garda recruitment competition was launched on 15 January and closed for applications on 8 February. The response to the latest Garda recruitment campaign has been very strong. I am advised by the Garda authorities that 6,360 applicants were brought forward to stage 1 of the 2024 recruitment campaign which is a significant increase on the 5,000 people who applied last year.

I am delighted to see that so many people want to join An Garda Síochána, particularly with the strong response from people aged between 35 and 50. Well over a third of the applications were in that age group following the increase of the maximum entry age from 35 to 50.

The number of recruits in the Garda training college continue to increase; a total of 746 trainees entered the training college in 2023. This is the highest intake in any year since 2018.

An intake of 157 trainees entered the Garda College on 1st July. This is the second of four intakes planned for April, July, September and December of this year.

Recruitment into An Garda Síochána has accelerated following the closure of the Garda College to new intakes under Public Health restrictions, and the Government is determined that An Garda Síochána grows to 15,000 members and beyond.

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

368. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the average time from first interview to completion of training for An Garda Síochána recruits. [28653/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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.

Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North West, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

369. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the current number of candidates on a waiting list to be recruited to An Garda Síochána; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [28654/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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.

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

370. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí, by rank, attached to juvenile liaison services within the Cavan-Monaghan division in 2022, 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form. [28663/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible, by law, for the deployment of personnel and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps this deployment under review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities to ensure optimum use is made of available resources.

I am advised by the Commissioner that Garda Juvenile Liaison Officers (JLOs) are specially trained to fulfil a key role in implementing the Garda Diversion Programme. Their role includes the administration of formal and informal cautions as well as appropriate supervision of children who have been admitted to the Diversion Programme, as provided in Part 4 of the Children Act 2001.

The intention of the programme is to divert children and young people who have engaged in criminal or anti-social behaviour away from the criminal justice system and towards more positive life choices. Children who commit criminal offences are considered for admission to the Programme.

Youth Diversion Projects (YDPs) are a fundamental support to the operation of the statutory Garda Diversion Programme and provide a vital ingredient in enhancing community policing partnerships. These projects are community based multi-agency crime prevention initiatives, which are funded directly by my Department. YDPs seek to divert young people who have become involved, or are at risk of becoming involved, in crime/anti-social behaviour away from future involvement with the Criminal Justice System.

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 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. Programmes run by individual YDPs are outcomes-focused, taking account of the needs, issues and circumstances surrounding referred young people, including their offending behaviour as identified through the assessment process.

The current network of 99 YDPs is extensive, but we will continue to develop it further through both the expansion of the catchment areas of existing projects, where appropriate, and also through the creation of additional projects, to ensure every child who needs it is reached. Four new Youth Diversion Projects were launched last year to become operational later this year, with a further two additional projects planned for later this year.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that at the end of 2022 and 2023, and as of 31 May 2024, there were fewer than ten JLO's assigned to the Cavan-Monaghan Division. I am also advised that data is not released by An Garda Síochána for counts of fewer than 10 for data protection reasons.

Pauline Tully (Cavan-Monaghan, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

371. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of incidents the Garda air support unit was requested to attend to date in 2024, in tabular form. [28664/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

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.