Patrick Costello (Dublin South Central, Green Party)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1437.To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí based in Cobh; the number of vehicles available to them; the number of community guards over five years, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31098/24]

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1441.To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of designated community Gardaí in the Cork city division for the years 2019 to 2024, by station, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [31121/24]

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

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1437 and 1441 together.

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 of Garda members and vehicles between the different Garda units and Divisions. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.

However, the Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to fight crime and a strengthened, well-resourced Garda organisation is central to this policy. I was pleased to secure unprecedented funding of over €2.35 billion for this year, a 25% increase since 2020 which is supporting the continued recruitment of Garda members and staff.

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 14.

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.

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.

The Garda authorities have advised me 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. Examples of this engagement are working with Neighbourhood Watch, Community Alert, or local business fora.

Community Policing Teams strategically manage and lead the development, delivery and evaluation of the Garda Community Policing Framework. Like most Garda members, those assigned to CPTs 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, they are also frontline members. It is also important to note that CPTs draw on all frontline Gardaí to carry out community policing.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that as of 28 June 2024, the latest date for when figures are available, there was a total of 14,100 Garda members nationwide. This represents an increase of 10% since the end of December 2015.

I am also advised that the table below sets out the number of Community Garda assigned to Cobh Garda station from 2020 up to 2023 and at 31 March 2024, the latest date for when figures are available.

Furthermore, the table below provides the number of Community Gardaí by station allocated to Cork City Division in the the years 2019 up to end March 2024.

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

In the interest of transparency, information in relation to the allocation of Community Gardaí and Gardaí by Division, District, Station and Rank is also publicly available and can be found at the following link:

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

As of 30 June 2024, the latest date for when figures are available, there were a total of 3,530 vehicles in the Garda fleet, the highest ever, and an increase of over 35% since 2015. The fleet includes 2,657 cars, 589 vans, 132 motorcycles, 100 4x4 and 52 others (refers to MPV, SUV, Minibus or Prisoner Conveyance Vehicles).

As the Deputy will be aware, Cobh is located in the Middleton District. I am advised that the Garda authorities do not provide vehicles allocated to Garda stations for security reasons with the below the table setting out the number of vehicles allocated to Middleton at the end of December 2019 up to end December 2023.

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