Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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118. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if funding is available in 2025 to purchase replacement Garda prisoner transport vehicles. [21443/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I am committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to fight crime. A strengthened, well-resourced Garda organisation is central to this policy.

The Garda Vote in Budget 2025 includes unprecedented funding of over €2.48 billion, representing a 27% increase since 2020. This investment supports the continued enhancement of the Garda fleet, ensuring that An Garda Síochána has a modern, effective, and fit-for-purpose fleet. Funds are allocated based on identified operational demands and prioritised according to the multi-annual sums provided.

These funds have facilitated the purchase of two water cannon and a significant expansion of the Garda fleet, which now comprises over 3,500 vehicles—the largest fleet in the organisation's history.

I am informed by Garda authorities that the purchase of additional Garda prisoner transport trucks is not planned for 2025.

An Garda Síochána publishes detailed information on the Garda fleet from 2008 to date, including a Divisional/District monthly breakdown. This is publicly available on their website at the following link:

www.garda.ie/en/about-us/our-departments/finance-services/finance-fleet-management.html

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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119. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 375 of 20 March 2025, if he has received the necessary information from the Garda Commissioner to answer this parliamentary question. [21444/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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I refer to Parliamentary Question No. 375 of 20 March 2025 where you sought:

“To ask the Minister for Justice the number of competitions held for sworn Gardaí to apply to join Garda National Immigration Bureau in 2024 and to date in 2025; the number of vacancies, by rank, that were available during each of those competitions; and the number of Gardaí, by rank, that applied for each of those competitions, in tabular form.”

As you will recall, I sought the information from the Garda authorities and undertook to contact you again once the information was to hand.

A reply was issued to you on 23 April 2025.

I have been advised that there were no competitions held in 2024 and to date in 2025 for sworn Gardaí to apply to join the Garda National Immigration Bureau. A number of competitions were held in 2023 for 36 positions across the ranks of Detective Inspector, Detective Sergeant, Sergeant, Detective Garda, and Garda.

Alan Kelly (Tipperary North, Labour)
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120. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality for a complete breakdown of the number of young persons referred to the Garda Youth Diversion Programme by Garda district within Dublin region for the past three years, in tabular form. [21445/25]

Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
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The statutory framework relating to young offenders (between the ages of 12 and 18 years of age), and inclusion in the Garda Youth Diversion Programme, is set out in the Children Act 2001. The Act provides that where a young person under 18 years of age is responsible for committing a crime, the young person shall be considered for admission to the Youth Diversion Programme. In order for a young person to be admitted to the Programme, the child must take responsibility for their offending behaviour; agree to be cautioned by a Garda; and, when appropriate, agree to terms of supervision.

The Diversion Programme is supported by a network of Youth Diversion Projects (YDPs). YDPs are community-based multi-agency crime prevention initiatives, which seek to divert young people who have become involved in crime or antisocial behaviour and to support wider preventative work within the community and with families at risk.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that the table below provides a breakdown of young people referred to the Garda Youth Diversion Programme by Garda District in Dublin (i.e. received one or more referral) for the years 2022-2024. Please note that the below figures are reflective of distinct persons referred per local District per year and rely on the District of the youth at the time of the referral.