Written answers
Wednesday, 22 January 2025
Department of Justice and Equality
An Garda Síochána
Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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935. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda cars and motorcycles attached to Meath roads policing unit as of 6 December 2024. [46407/24]
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 management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes the distribution of resources, including the Garda fleet, across the various Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no direct role in this matter.
The Government is committed to providing An Garda Síochána with the resources needed to keep people safe. This is reflected in the unprecedented allocation of over €2.48 billion in Budget 2025. This is allowing for sustained investment in recruitment, equipment, technology, and vehicles.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that, at the end of December 2024, there were 3,589 vehicles attached to the Garda fleet, the highest total of vehicles ever in use by An Garda Síochána. This represents an increase of over 15% since the end of December 2020.
As the Deputy is aware the Divisions of Meath and Westmeath have merged as part of the new Operating Model. I am advised that on 31 December 2024 there were 149 vehicles attached to the Meath/Westmeath Division, which includes: 118 cars, 23 vans, 4 motorcycles, 3 4x4, and 1 other. The category 'other' refers to MPV, SUV, Minibus or Prisoner Conveyance Vehicles.
The table below, which was provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the number of vehicles attached to the Roads Policing Unit in the Meath/Westmeath Division on 6 December 2024.
Cars | Motorbikes | 4x4 | Total |
---|---|---|---|
10 | 4 | 3 | 17 |
The Deputy may also wish to be aware that An Garda Síochána publish information on Garda fleet, including a Divisional/District monthly breakdown, on their website at:
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Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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936. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 807 of 5 November 2024, if the necessary information has been supplied to her Department by the Garda Authorities for this PQ to be answered. [46408/24]
Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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Combatting all forms of domestic, sexual and gender-based violence remains a priority for this Government, for my Department and for the Garda Commissioner.
'Zero Tolerance,' the Third National Strategy on Domestic, Sexual and Gender-based Violence (DSGBV), sets out an ambitious whole of government five-year programme of reform to achieve a society which does not accept DSGBV or the attitudes which underpin these crimes.
The Strategy, which was co-designed with the sector, also has a significant focus on improving the system for victims of these terrible crimes and on ensuring there is a full range of supports and services available nationwide to support and empower victims and survivors.
The nationwide roll out of Divisional Protective Service Units (DPSUs) - which ensure that when vulnerable victims of crimes such as domestic abuse and sexual violence present to Gardaí, they are met with a consistently high standard of specialist, sensitive, professional and expert assistance - was an action under both the 'Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland' and ‘Supporting a Victim's Journey’ and there is now a DPSU in every Garda division across the country.
I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that when consideration is given to the allocation of resources, account is taken of commitments and undertakings outlined in the Annual Policing Plan and priorities as determined in delivering ‘A Policing Service for The Future’.
To ensure the continued level of delivery of policing services within Garda Divisions, local and Senior Garda Management are also consulted during the allocation of personnel and are responsible for the specific deployment/assignment of duties being undertaken at Divisional level.
The situation remains closely monitored by the Garda Senior Leadership Team, particularly in view of commitments to the continued roll-out of the Operating Model of policing at Divisional level to ensure optimum use of all Garda Resources in providing the best possible Garda service to the community.
I am advised that the Garda authorities that there are less than 10 Detective Gardaí attached to the Meath Divisional Protective Service Bureau. I am further advised that the Garda authorities will not report on numbers that are less than 10 for operational reasons.
Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein)
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937. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Gardaí, by rank, attached to each of the four satellite garda national cyber- crime bureau hubs as of 6 December 2024, in tabular form. [46409/24]
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 the allocation of Garda members and Garda Staff. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
I sought the information requested by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána and as there is less than 10 members allocated across the four Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau Satellite Hubs, I am informed by the Garda authorities that data is not released by An Garda Síochána for counts less than 10, for data protection and security reasons.
To be of assistance to the Deputy I sought the total number of Garda members allocated across the four GNCCB Satellite Hubs (located in Cork, Mullingar, Galway and Wexford) at the end of 2024 and can confirm there is a total of 29.
George Lawlor (Wexford, Labour)
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938. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of new Garda cars and vans that were added to the Wexford Division in the years of 2023 and to date in 2024; and the number of Garda cars and vans withdrawn from the fleet during same period, in tabular form. [46442/24]
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 management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes the distribution of resources, including the Garda fleet, across the various Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no direct role in this matter.
The Government is committed to providing An Garda Síochána with the resources needed to keep people safe. This is reflected in the unprecedented allocation of over €2.48 billion in Budget 2025. This is allowing for sustained investment in recruitment, equipment, technology, and vehicles.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that at the end of December 2024 there were 3,589 vehicles attached to the Garda fleet, the highest total of vehicles ever in use by An Garda Síochána. This represents an increase of over 15% since the end of December 2020.
As the Deputy is aware, Wexford Division has merged with Wicklow Division as part of the new Operating Model. I am advised that, as of 31 December 2024, there were 137 vehicles attached to the Wicklow/Wexford Division which includes 100 cars, 22 vans, 6 motorcycles, 8 4x4 and 1 other. The category 'other' refers to MPV, SUV, Minibus or Prisoner Conveyance Vehicles.
The table below, which has been provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the number of cars and vans allocated to and removed from the Wexford Division in 2023.
Wexford Division in 2023 | Cars | Vans | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Allocated | 9 | 1 | 10 |
Removed | 9 | 1 | 10 |
The table below sets out the number of cars and vans allocated to and removed from the Wexford/Wicklow Division in 2024.
Wexford/Wicklow Division in 2024 | Cars | Vans | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Allocated | 12 | 4 | 16 |
Removed | 12 | 0 | 12 |
The Deputy may also wish to be aware that An Garda Síochána publish information on Garda fleet, including a Divisional/District monthly breakdown, on their website at:
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Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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939. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality in each of the previous eight years from 2024, the number of charges of alleged rape that have been prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecutions; and if this will be calculated as a percentage of the number of alleged sexual assaults or rapes reported to Gardaí, in each of the previous eight years, in tabular form. [46454/24]
Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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940. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality in each of the previous eight years from 2024, the number of charges of alleged rape that have been prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecutions; and if this will be calculated as a percentage of the number of alleged sexual assaults or rape reported to Gardaí and where a crime was subsequently detected, in each of the previous eight years, in tabular form. [46455/24]
Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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941. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality in each of the previous eight years from 2024, the number of complaints of alleged sexual assault that have not been prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecutions in court as a percentage of the total number of alleged sexual assaults reported to Gardaí where a crime was detected, in tabular form. [46456/24]
Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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942. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality in each of the previous eight years from 2024, the number of complaints of alleged sexual assault that have been prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecutions as a percentage of the total number of alleged sexual assaults reported to Gardaí where a crime was detected, in tabular form. [46457/24]
Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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943. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality in each of the previous eight years from 2024, the number of cases of alleged rape which were prosecuted by the Director of Public Prosecutions that did not progress to trial after a suspect was charged, in tabular form. [46458/24]
Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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944. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality in each of the previous eight years from 2024, the number of occasions where a crime was detected by the Gardaí in cases of alleged sexual assault or rape, but the DPP did not proceed with prosecution; and, the percentage of those that were due to insufficient evidence, in tabular form. [46459/24]
Paul McAuliffe (Dublin North-West, Fianna Fail)
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945. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality based off the previous 10 years from 2024, the average time that elapses between the reporting of an alleged sexual assault to Gardaí and the beginning of a trial where the Director of Public Prosecutions proceeds with prosecution. [46460/24]
Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 939 to 945, inclusive.
As the Deputy will be aware, prosecutions are a matter for the Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions (ODPP).
The DPP is wholly independent in her functions under the Prosecution of Offences Act 1974 (as amended) and, as Minister, I have no role in the operations, governance or oversight of the Office, which is funded through the Vote of the Department of the Taoiseach.
As a result, I am unable to provide any statistical information related to the work of the DPP.
The Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, is responsible for the compilation and publication of all crime statistics. The CSO produces these statistics using data recorded on An Garda Síochána’s PULSE system and makes regular releases in relation to various crime statistics. The most recent statistics were released on 26 September 2024, providing stats for Recorded Crime for Quarter 2 (Q2) 2024. Crime statistics for Q3 of 2024 are not yet available but will be published by the CSO in due course.
Figures in respect of criminal offences reported to Gardaí can be found on the CSO website at the following link: .
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