Written answers
Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Department of Justice and Equality
An Garda Síochána
Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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924. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 790 of 5 November 2024, if she has received the necessary information from the Garda authorities in order to have this PQ answered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46347/24]
Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Parliamentary Question No.790 of 5 November 2024 refers to the number of Gardaí, by rank, attached to each Divisional Crime Scenes Unit as of 29 October 2024, in tabular form.
As the Deputy will appreciate, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 as amended, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business. Further, the allocation of Garda resources is made in light of identified operational demands. This includes deployment of personnel among the various Garda Divisions. As Minister for Justice, I have no role in these matters.
I am assured, however, that Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of policing priorities and crime trends, to ensure their optimum use. I understand that it is a matter for the Divisional Chief Superintendent to determine the optimum distribution of duties among the personnel available to him or her, having regard to the profile of each area within the Division and its specific needs.
I am advised that there were 155 Garda members assigned to the Divisional Crime Scenes Unit on the 31 December 2024, the latest date for when figures are available. The table below, which has been provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out these Garda members by rank in each Garda Region.
I am advised that the Garda authorities will not report on numbers that are less than 10 for operational reasons.
Divisional Crime Scenes Unit by Region | |||
---|---|---|---|
Region | Sergeant | Garda | Total |
DMR Total | <10 | 42 | 46 |
Eastern | <10 | 36 | 39 |
North Western | <10 | 29 | 36 |
South | <10 | 30 | 34 |
Total | 18 | 137 | 155 |
Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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925. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Gardaí, by rank attached to a unit (details supplied) as of 4 December 2024; if she will provide same figures as of 31 December 2023, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46348/24]
Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána, and I very much support the approach that every Garda has a role to play in community policing.
I can inform the Deputy that on 31 October 2024, the latest date for when published figures are available, there were 684 Community Gardaí nationwide.
I am advised that at the end of October there were 66 Community Gardaí assigned to the DMR North Division, an increase of 1.5% since the end of December 2023.
The table below, which was provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the number of Community Gardaí by rank assigned to Coolock Garda station at the end of December 2023, and on 31 October 2024, the latest date for which figures are available.
Community Garda - Coolock Garda Station | Garda | Sergeant | Total |
---|---|---|---|
31 December 2023 | 8 | 1 | 9 |
31 October 2024 | 7 | 1 | 8 |
Please be advised that these figures are operational and may be subject to change.
The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Units and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter.
In the interest of transparency, information in relation to the allocation of Community Gardaí by Division is publicly available and can be found at the following link. I can also advise the Deputy that I have received the most recent figures for October from An Garda Síochána which have been published on the website.
As the Deputy may be aware, a member of An Garda Síochána is 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 community partnership and engagement. Examples of this engagement are working with Neighbourhood Watch, Community Alert, or local business fora.
Like most Garda members, those assigned to CPTs have dual functions. In addition to their strategic roles in these 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.
Of course, Gardaí are not solely responsible for safety in our communities and this is what the new whole-of-Government Community Safety structure aims to address by bringing the relevant service providers and the Gardaí together to work with each community in a collaborative manner to focus on tackling the concerns identified and prioritised by the local community itself. The roll-out of Local Community Safety Partnerships across the country will be a core part of that.
Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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926. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 797 of 5 November 2024, if she has received the necessary information from the Garda authorities in order to have this PQ answered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46349/24]
Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I understand that Parliamentary Question No. 797 of 5 November 2024 refers to "the number of Public Order Instructor courses held for Gardaí within the DMR region in the years of 2023 and to date in 2024; and the number of these courses that are scheduled to be held between now and year-end."
As the Deputy will appreciate, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business. This includes the deployment of Garda resources and training of Garda personnel. As Minister, I have no role in these independent functions.
The table below, which was provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the number of Public Order Instructor courses held for Garda members within the DMR in 2023 and 2024, and the number of Garda members who trained as Public Order Instructors in those years.
I am advised that data is not released by An Garda Síochána for counts of fewer than 10 for data protection and security reasons.
Year | Number of Public Order Instructor Courses held | Number of trained Public Order Instructors |
---|---|---|
2023 | <10 | <10 |
2024* | <10 | 17 |
*I am advised that the figure provided for 2024 reflects Garda National Public Order Unit Instructor training for Stadium Tactics.
All information is operational and may be subject to change.
Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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927. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 792 of 5 November 202, if she has received the necessary information from the Garda authorities in order to have this PQ answered; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46352/24]
Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I refer to parliamentary question 792 of 5 November 2024 where the Deputy asked for the number of new Garda cars and vans attached to each Garda district within DMR to date in 2024 in tabular form.
As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including the Garda fleet. This includes the allocation of Garda vehicles to a given Division or Station. As Minister, I have no role in these matters.
The below table, provided to me by the Garda authorities provides the number of Cars and vans allocated to the DMR by District in 2024 as at 31 October, the latest date for which figures are available.
I am further advised that the purchase and allocation of vehicles by An Garda Síochána is made on the basis of identified operational demands, the availability of resources and is reviewed on a continual basis.
Cars | Vans | ||
---|---|---|---|
DMR REGION | Total | 32 | 16 |
DMR EAST | Total | 1 | 1 |
DUNLAOGHAIRE | 1 | 1 | |
DMR NORTH | Total | 1 | 3 |
BALBRIGGAN | 1 | 1 | |
BALLYMUN | 0 | 1 | |
RAHENY | 0 | 1 | |
DMR NORTH CENTRAL | Total | 2 | 1 |
FITZGIBBON STREET | 2 | 1 | |
STORE STREET | 0 | 0 | |
DMR REGIONAL OFFICE | Total | 9 | 2 |
A/COMM-OFFICE | 9 | 2 | |
DMR SOUTH | Total | 2 | 4 |
CRUMLIN | 1 | 0 | |
TALLAGHT | 1 | 2 | |
TERENURE | 0 | 2 | |
DMR SOUTH CENTRAL | Total | 13 | 1 |
DONNYBROOK | 6 | 0 | |
KEVIN STREET | 7 | 1 | |
DMR TRAFFIC | Total | 1 | 1 |
DMR TRAFFIC-DUBLIN CASTLE | 1 | 1 | |
DMR WEST | Total | 3 | 3 |
BLANCHARDSTOWN | 2 | 3 | |
CLONDALKIN | 1 | 0 |
Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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928. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda public order unit vans currently in the fleet as of 6 December 2024; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [46353/24]
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 management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes the distribution of resources, including the Garda fleet, across the various Garda Units and Divisions. As Minister, I have no direct role in this matter.
The Government is committed to providing An Garda Síochána with the resources it needs to fight crime, and a strengthened, well-resourced Garda organisation is central to this policy. This is reflected in the unprecedented allocation of over €2.48 billion in Budget 2025, a 27% increase since 2020. This funding is allowing for sustained investment in recruitment, equipment, technology and vehicles.
I am advised that, at the end of December 2024, there were 3,589 vehicles attached to the Garda fleet, an increase of 15% since the end of 2020. The fleet includes 2,653 cars, 625 vans, 160 motorcycles, 97 4x4 and 54 others (refers to MPV, SUV, Minibus or Prisoner Conveyance Vehicles).
To be of assistance, I sought the information requested by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána and have been advised that there were 30 Garda Public Order Unit vans as of 31 December 2024.
The responsibility for the efficient deployment of all official Garda vehicles in each Division is assigned to the Divisional Officer, who may allocate vehicles between Stations as required by operational circumstances.
I am advised that the purchase and allocation of vehicles by An Garda Síochána is made on the basis of identified operational demands, the availability of resources and is reviewed on a continual basis.
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