Written answers
Wednesday, 5 February 2025
Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection
An Garda Síochána
Barry Heneghan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
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846. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the measures that are being introduced to increase the Garda presence in Dublin city centre and address crime and anti-social behaviour; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3596/25]
Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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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. The Garda Vote in Budget 2025 saw unprecedented funding of over €2.48 billion for this year, a 27% increase since 2020 which is supporting the continued recruitment of Garda members and staff. As part of Budget 2025 Garda overtime has been boosted by 13%, rising to €150 million.
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 between the different Garda units and Divisions. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
While the Garda Commissioner is operationally responsible for the allocation of Garda resources, I look forward to engaging regularly with him to ensure our Gardaí have the resources they need.
The Garda Síochána Analysis Service closely monitors crime trends, and disseminates analysis on a regional and divisional basis. This feeds directly into planning operational activities aimed at reducing and preventing crime. The Garda Commissioner has put significant additional resources into high visibility policing in Dublin City centre and that will continue.
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 aims to reassure citizens, visitors and the business community;
- Operation Saul which aims to provide a safe environment for commuters utilising public transport services;
- Operation Táirge targeting Retail Theft;
- Operation Tara tackling street level drug-dealing.
The members deployed on Operation Citizen are drawn from Store Street and Pearse Street Garda stations, thus utilising the members that are best placed to provide an effective policing service, bringing with them local knowledge and ownership of the objectives.
The personnel from both Store Street and Pearse Street Garda Stations are allocated on a full-time basis to ‘Operation Citizen’.
With respect to the overall Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR), since the full reopening of the Garda training College in Templemore after the easing of public health restrictions in 2022, Garda recruitment has increased. There were 3,723 Gardaí in the DMR’s six divisions in 2022, and this has risen to 3,809 as of 31 December 2024, an increase of 86 Gardaí since the end of 2022.
In addition, there are now 513 Garda staff working across the DMR, which is an increase of over 21% since 2020.
The Government has taken a range of significant measures to boost recruitment including increasing the Garda trainee allowance to €354 per week; the age of entry has increased from 35 to 50; the mandatory retirement age to 62.
On a strategic level Local Community Safety Partnerships (LCSPs) are rolling out nationally and include residents, local councillors, community representatives (including representatives of young people, older people, new and minority communities), business and education representatives and a range of public services including the HSE, Tusla, An Garda Síochána and the local authority.
The Dublin North Inner City Community Safety Partnership published a community safety plan for the area for 2023-2026, which contains 50 actions across five priority areas aimed at enhancing safety in the area.
The Government will continue to provide An Garda Síochána with the resources it needs to ensure communities in Dublin and around Ireland are safe and feel safe.
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