Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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1545.To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 284 of 25 June 2024, if she has received the necessary information from the Garda authorities in order for this question to be answered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [32333/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I understand that Parliamentary Question No. 284 of 25 June 2024 refers to the number of Gardaí, by rank, attached to the Street Crime Unit (SCU) within the J district of DMR as of 17 June 2024; the number of incidents dealt with by SCU in 2023 and to date in 2024, in tabular form.

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.

As the Deputy 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 Divisions. I have no role in these operational matters.

I am assured that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of policing priorities and crime trends, to ensure their optimum use.

I am informed by the Garda Authorities that, as of 17 June 2024, there is no Street Crime Unit in the J District, and that the resources have been redeployed to the District Detective Unit at Clontarf Garda Station.

I can inform the Deputy that I have been assured by the Commissioner that he has the resources to provide a high-visibility police service in the city and that additional resources continue to be deployed.

Additional permanent full-time Gardaí have been assigned to Dublin. 157 new recruits attested at the end of June, and 102 of these were assigned to support policing in Dublin.

The Deputy may also wish to be aware that there are a number of Garda Operations taking place in Dublin to provide a high-visibility policing presence and deter anti-social behaviour. These include:

• Operation Citizen which continues to reassure the citizens, visitors and the business community in Dublin City Centre that it is a safe place in which to visit, socialise, conduct business and enjoy its amenities;
• Operation Saul which aims to provide a safe environment for commuters utilising public transport services in the Dublin Metropolitan Region;
• Operation Táirge targeting Retail Theft;
• Operation Tara tackling street level drug-dealing.