Ceisteanna — Questions. Oral Answers. - Garda Deployment. – Dáil Éireann (25th Dáil) – Thursday, 19 May 1988

Mr. Farrelly

asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí allocated to each district; the ratio of gardaí allocated per head of population in each of these districts; and if he will make a statement on the matter.

Mr. Collins

I propose to circulate in the Official Report a tabular statement setting out the information sought in the question in so far as it is available.

As Garda administrative areas do not correspond to the local government areas used as a basis for the census of population, figures for the number of gardaí per head of population in each Garda district are not readily available. The compilation of such figures would require the diversion of gardaí from more pressing duties, which I consider would not be justified. However, the tabular statement gives the ratio of gardaí to population in the Dublin Metropolitan Area, in each of the Garda divisions in the rest of the country and in the State as a whole. It should be noted that the strength assigned to divisional headquarters stations includes specialist staff and units that operate on a divisional basis.

As regards the number of gardaí allocated to each district, it should be borne in mind that the number varies from time to time in the light of changing needs and circumstances. I also want to make the point that population is only one of a number of factors to be taken into account in assessing the police needs of any particular area. Any attempt to compare levels of police service in different areas would need to take account of other matters, including the overall resources available to an area, such as support staff, transport and other facilities, as well as the incidence of crime in that area and any special policing needs or problems that exist there. It would be seriously misleading to regard the ratio of gardaí to population in any area as any accurate measure of the level of Garda service provided for that area.

Following is the statement:

Division/District	Garda strength at 30 April 1988	Ratio of Garda strength to population
Carlow/Kildare	268	1: 595
Naas	102
Kildare	63
Carlow	64
Baltinglass	39
Cavan/Monaghan	444	1: 239
Monaghan	176
Bailieboro	56
Ballyconnell	62
Carrickmacross	89
Cavan	61
Clare	216	1: 423
Ennis	128
Ennistymon	30
Killaloe	32
Kilrush	26
Cork East	817	1: 359
Union Quay	310
Mayfield	118
Togher	104
Gurranabraher	81
Cobh	46
Fermoy	53
Midleton	56
Mallow	49
Cork West	240	1: 500
Bandon	84
Bantry	39
Clonakilty	44
Kanturk	37
Macroom	36
Donegal	506	1: 256
Letterkenny	197
Buncrana	100
Ballyshannon	121
Milford	43
Glenties	45
Galway West	313	1: 388
Galway	180
Clifden	27
Gort	31
Loughrea	43
Oughterard	32
Kerry	247	1: 502
Tralee	99
Caherciveen	39
Killarney	60
Listowel	49
Laois/Offaly	346	1: 327
Port Laoise	182
Abbeyleix	43
Birr	48
Tullamore	73
Limerick	530	1: 310
Henry Street	246
Roxboro	143
Askeaton	44
Newcastle West	55
Bruff	42
Longford/Westmeath	256	1: 372
Mullingar	89
Athlone	75
Granard	44
Longford	48
Louth/Meath	486	1: 469
Drogheda	87
Dundalk	160
Ceanannus Mór	49
Navan	63
Trim	69
Balbriggan	58
Mayo	265	1: 434
Castlebar	70
Ballina	51
Belmullet	22
Claremorris	48
Swinford	39
Westport	35
Roscommon/Galway (East)	247	1: 451
Roscommon	71
Ballinasloe	46
Boyle	33
Castlerea	38
Tuam	59
Sligo/Leitrim	275	1: 302
Sligo	117
Ballymote	33
Carrick-on-Shannon	38
Manorhamilton	87
Tipperary	288	1: 474
Thurles	65
Cahir	43
Clonmel	65
Nenagh	37
Templemore	41
Tipperary	37
Waterford/Kilkenny	316	1: 521
Waterford	130
Dungarvan	45
Kilkenny	75
Thomastown	31
Tramore	35
Wexford	265	1: 531
Wexford	80
Enniscorthy	33
Gorey	64
New Ross	37
Wicklow	51
Dublin Metropolitan Area	3,925	1: 266
Eastern Division	448
‘F’ District (Dún) Laoghaire	177
‘N’ District (Bray)	109
‘W’ District (Blackrock)	162
North Central Division	533
‘C’ District (Store Street)	184
‘U’ District (Fitzgibbon Street)	172
‘D’ District (Bridewell)	177
Northern Division	719
‘H’ District (Santry)	166
‘R’ District (Coolock)	190
‘J’ District (Raheny)	145
‘K’ District (Cabra)	217
South Central Division	867
‘A’ District (Kevin Street)	180
‘B’ District (Pearse Street)	490
‘E’ District (Donnybrook)	197
Southern Division	636
‘G’ District (Crumlin)	128
‘L’ District (Ballyfermot)	222
‘M’ District (Tallaght)	152
‘P’ District (Rathmines)	134
Dublin Area Headquarters	722
Garda Headquarters and Training Centre	726
National Ratio	10,976	1: 323

Mr. Farrelly

Taking into consideration that we will not have received the details of the tabular statement until the reply is available this evening, I would ask the Minister, on the basis of the crime ratio — and I am speaking mainly about my own constituency — if, in areas where crime has increased dramatically and the gardaí there would admit to being understaffed to deal with it and taking into consideration the reduced resources of the Garda nationally, it would not be of interest to everybody concerned to ensure that if there is an oversupply of gardaí in some areas, which I believe is the case, they should be transferred to the areas where crime has increased?

Mr. Collins

I very much accept the main thrust of the Deputy's question. Having regard to information available or experience gained by the Garda about the level of crime, if there is an increase in that level, these are factors which would be taken into account by the divisional commander of the force in the relevant area. That would then be the basis for his case to be put to the Garda authorities in Dublin for allocation of additional members of the force to help him to deal with the job that is there. Of course, if there are people in the force in an area where there is not a demand for them, or if there is a greater demand somewhere else, it is a matter for the Garda Commissioner to decide to transfer those people from where they may not be fully employed to areas where they are urgently needed and where they would be more than fully employed. These would, in my view, be matters for consideration by the Garda Commissioner in allocating the manpower available, which is his prime responsibility.

Mr. Farrelly

Would the Minister not accept that in areas of this country there are now no gardaí on the beat? Would he not accept also that there are other areas — and I am talking about main towns — where there are a number of gardaí on the beat trying to keep out of each other's way? Would he investigate the situation in regard to the Meath area where crime has increased and where last week there was a very serious robbery? The gardaí in the station——

An Ceann Comhairle

May I appeal for brevity?

Mr. Farrelly

There were four other local stations and no gardaí available to go out and investigate the incident.

Mr. Collins

I would be quite prepared to bring the comments of Deputy Farrelly to the attention of the Garda Commissioner. If there is anything further the Deputy would like to add to what he has already said — although this might not necessarily be the place where he can do that because of the nature of the parliamentary question and the supplementary question — or if he feels that he has any further information that may have any significant bearing on the problem that he says exists, I would be more than happy to bring the matter to the attention of the Garda Commissioner.

Mr. S. Barrett

He may not be happy about it.

Mr. Farrelly

A final short supplementary, a Cheann Comhairle. Would the Minister ask the Garda Commissioner seriously to look at redeployment of gardaí around the country, taking into consideration the increase in the crime rate? Perhaps he would give a report to the House in due course.

Mr. S. Barrett

There was no recruitment in 1988.

Mr. Collins

The Deputy will be aware of recent statements made by me on the question of Garda reorganisation and comments made arising therefrom to the effect that the Garda Commissioner is looking at the situation as far as deployment of the force is concerned throughout all divisions, with a view to seeing that people are properly and gainfully employed. The Deputy will also know that I have expressed the viewpoint that where gardaí are involved in desk jobs — if I may use that phrase, the question of whether they should be allowed to continue doing desk jobs should be seriously looked at with a view to civilianising those jobs, so that we might get additional members of the force who are trained to be gardaí out on the streets doing the sort of work that we would all want them to be doing.

Miss Colley

May I ask one supplementary question?

An Ceann Comhairle

I shall take a brief question.

Miss Colley

On the basis that Deputy Farrelly has referred to the Louth-Meath division, may I ask the Minister if he is satisfied with the appointment of a chief superintendent to the Louth-Meath region to be based in Dundalk with special responsibility for special assignments rather than the division itself?

An Ceann Comhairle

The Deputy is raising a very particular matter worthy of a particular question.

Miss Colley

This is in the light of the question as regards the adequacy of policing. Is the Minister satisfied with this?

Mr. Collins

Deputy Colley seems to have got her wires crossed a little. What she seems to accept is not the position. This matter was very fully dealt with in the Dáil last week when we had a half-hour's discussion and the matter was fully and satisfactorily explained to those who participated in the debate.

Dáil Éireann debate -
Thursday, 19 May 1988