Dáil Éireann debate -
Wednesday, 15 May 1996

Vol. 465 No. 4

Written Answers. - Community Gardaí.

Máirín Quill

Question:

83 Miss Quill asked the Minister for Justice the number of community gardaí in the State; the plans, if any, she has to increase the number of community gardaí in line with requests from the public and neighbourhood watch groups; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9785/96]

Minister for Justice (Mrs. Owen)

The allocation of Garda personnel is the responsibility of the Garda authorities.

They have informed me that there are 246 members of the Force who are deployed full-time on community policing duties mainly in the urban areas of our larger towns and cities. In addition there are over 1,300 liaison gardaí servicing over 2,000 neighbourhood watch schemes in urban areas and over 800 community alert schemes in rural areas.

While I am convinced that the gardaí need to maintain the closest possible links with the communities which they serve, it should also be recognised that there is a limit to the number of gardaí that can be dedicated solely to this type of duty, given the overall demands on the Force. However, it is inherent in the function of all members of the Garda Síochána to provide a quality service to the public and the individual citizen through their interaction with the communities in which they serve. I am informed by the Garda authorities that the deployment of gardaí is under continual review by Garda management so as to provide a flexible policing service capable of responding to needs as they arise.