Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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217. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of members in the Garda reserve; and the plans to increase the numbers. [5140/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended). The Commissioner is also responsible for the Garda Reserve under the Garda Síochána (Reserve Members) Regulations 2024. As Minister, I have no role in the recruitment or training process for the Reserve.

There were 319 Garda Reserves as of 31 December 2024, and a target has been set to have 2,000 Reserves by 2026. The Government is committed to supporting the Garda Commissioner to achieve this goal, as well as to ensure new intakes annually.

Last year saw new regulations brought forward governing recruitment, training and deployment of the Reserve. I believe this also represents a great opportunity to broaden the recruitment pool for An Garda Síochána, particularly among communities which have not traditionally joined the service in large numbers.

To help support the work of Reserves, the maximum stipend a Reserve member receives for voluntary service in a given year has been increased from €1,000 to €3,000.

A competition to recruit Garda Reserves opened in June 2024, the first in many years. Garda Reserves play a vital role in their communities, and the revised regulations brought forward will allow them to contribute even more effectively. The Garda Reserve competition closed in early July and received over 1,800 applications. The first of the successful candidates will enter training shortly.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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218. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality how many Gardaí currently have body cams, by divisional area. [5141/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible, under section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), for the management and administration of Garda business. This includes all operational policing matters. As Minister I have no role in these independent functions.

Currently the Proof of Concept (POC) phase for Body Worn Cameras is ongoing in selected stations in three locations: Dublin, Waterford and Limerick. The purpose of the trial is to assess how Body Worn Cameras and Digital Evidence Management Systems will be used operationally and to inform the technical design, required infrastructure and procurement process for the national solution for all of An Garda Síochána.

I am advised that body worn cameras (BWCs) are not assigned to individual Garda members as part of their standard issue equipment. Rather, BWCs form a pool resource that Garda members can access. This allows for the BWC units to be charged and available when required.

There are 600 BWCs in use across the five proof of concept stations including in three Dublin stations, namely Kevin Street, Pearse Street, and Store Street, and also in Limerick’s Henry Street Station and Waterford Garda Station.

An Garda Síochána needs modern tools and equipment to help our Gardaí do their jobs in protecting people from harm and saving lives. This includes equipping all frontline Gardaí with bodycams which is something I am committed to progressing, as outlined in the Programme for Government. Using technology to enhance policing services is part of the Garda Digital Strategy, and another step towards the overall goal of developing an information-led policing service. As part of Budget 2025, €100m of funding has been provided for ICT to equip Gardaí with the necessary tools to enhance crime prevention and detection.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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219. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to bring in facial recognition technology to help An Garda Síochána. [5142/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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An Garda Síochána needs modern tools and equipment to protect people from harm and save lives.

This includes the rollout of bodycams to help protect frontline Gardaí and to allow them to investigate crime as effectively as possible. The Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Act 2023 was enacted in December 2023 and provides a legal basis for the deployment and use of body-worn cameras by An Garda Síochána, for Garda use of automatic numberplate recognition and for the reform of Garda use of CCTV.

The Programme for Government includes a commitment to allow for the use of biometric technologies in certain, very controlled circumstances as a tool to process evidence in the most serious of cases.

Work is well advanced on the drafting of a Bill to amend the Recording Devices Act to provide for retrospective use of biometric technologies, including facial recognition, for a number of serious crimes.

I will also be considering over the coming period, how to advance the Programme for Government commitment to introduce live facial recognition technology in cases of terrorism, national security, and missing persons.

The use of these technologies will be subject to strict safeguards, will have to be approved in advance and will have to be proportionate and necessary.