Sorca Clarke (Longford-Westmeath, Sinn Fein)
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438. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of bench warrants outstanding in the Meath/Westmeath Garda division as of 4 February 2025. [4348/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Commissioner is, by law, responsible for the administration and business of An Garda Síochána, including the allocation of Garda resources in respect of identified operational demands. As Minister, I have no direct role in these decisions.

The Deputy will appreciate that the execution of warrants, including bench warrants, can be impeded by persons actively seeking to evade detection and where limited identification information might be available to support enforcement. The data also reflects an accumulation of old bench warrants and therefore may not be a reliable indicator of the number of 'live' warrants which are actually enforceable.

I am assured that An Garda Síochána execute warrants as expeditiously as possible, giving priority to the execution of warrants relating to serious crimes.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that the table below sets out the number of bench warrants that were outstanding in the Meath/Westmeath Division on 4 February 2025.

Figures were collated based on PULSE data as of 1:30am on 5 February, 2025. They are operational and may be liable to change.