Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 February 2023
39. Deputy Alan Dillon asked the Minister for Justice for an update on the policing structure across County Mayo; if he will provide a breakdown of officers in each area; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7726/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for the distribution of Garda personnel and resources between the different Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no role in these operational matters.
I can advise the Deputy that the new Garda Operating Model reflects and addresses the challenges of modern day policing by enabling specialisation in the delivery of key services and freeing up more Gardaí to focus on front line policing.
It will particularly enhance the investigation of crime through the delivery of a greater range of specialised services in local areas such as the investigation of sexual crime, domestic violence, cyber-crime, and economic crime.
The development and introduction of the Operating Model was a recommendation by both the Garda Inspectorate and the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI) and is a key element of delivering its implementation plan, ‘A Policing Service for the Future’.
Its focus is on community policing based on local needs consistent with the objective of “Keeping People Safe” by working closely with wider services to prevent crime and support vulnerable people.
The new model introduces major changes to the structures of An Garda Síochána by providing more front-line Gardaí, increased Garda visibility, and a wider range of policing services for people in their local area.
The Operating Model is designed to make each Division the central unit of policing administration rather than the current smaller District model to benefit from greater scale. This benefits will be by way of effective streamlining of administrative processes, reduction in bureaucracy and allow the release of Gardaí from back office functions.
The new Operating Model is currently being rolled out in all divisions and is fully commenced in six - Dublin South Central, Cork City, Kerry, Galway, Limerick and Mayo-Roscommon-Longford. For these divisions it means:
- Districts replaced with Community Engagement Functional Areas;
- Crime Functional Area established in each Division;
- All Personnel aligned to a Functional Area;
- Garda Stations Aligned to Community Engagement Functional Areas.
I am advised by the Commissioner that An Garda Síochána are planning for the continued rollout of the Operating Model during 2023, in consultation with the relevant stakeholders.
The Garda authorities have also indicated that the plan will include the continued roll out in the remaining divisions along with the implementation of the regional office standardised processes in the four regions during 2023.
The Deputy may also be interested to know that as of 31 December 2022, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 616 Garda members assigned to the Mayo-Roscommon-Longford Division. A full breakdown of Garda members nationwide is available on my Department's website, and updated monthly.
