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.

I am informed that when allocating and transferring Garda members to and from any Division, consideration is given to commitments and undertakings outlined in the Annual Policing Plan.

The requirements of all Garda Divisions nationwide are also taken into account, which include:

• Local and national crime trends and workloads;
• Policing arrangements and operational strategies;
• Minimum establishment statistics;
• Local population and trends, geographical area and size;
• Transfer applications, including welfare, personnel issues and concerns.

An Garda Síochána operate a divisional model and don’t police on a station by station basis. Allocations to individual Garda stations are not equivalent to the availability of Gardaí patrolling in the community. Policing for an area is delivered using all resources in a Community Engagement area and supported by Divisional resources and units.

Currently, An Garda Síochána has over 560 Garda stations throughout the country. By international standards, this is high. For example, in Scotland, which has a comparable population size and a highly dispersed population, there are approximately 250 police stations. There have been no Garda station closures in the last number of years and the Garda Commissioner has repeatedly said there is no intention to close any stations.

The new Garda Operating model will provide more frontline Gardaí and increased Garda visibility, and will deliver a wider range of policing services for people in their local area. It will divide service delivery within divisions into four functional areas, one of the most important areas being Community Engagement. This will allow for a greater, more consistent, focus on community policing in all divisions.

The Operating Model is intended to release more front-line Gardaí, provide a stronger focus on community policing, and transform the delivery of policing services locally. This reflects best international practice and will ensure that each Division has the resources and skills to deliver a wider range of community policing and specialist services based on the demands in their area.

The Operating Model is complimented by the Programme for Government commitment to provide funding to recruit at least 5,000 new Garda recruits and additional Garda Staff over the next five years.