Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 31 January 2013
152. Deputy Pádraig Mac Lochlainn asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the numbers of Garda personnel decreased under the most recent Government prior to the current one; and if so, the number by which it decreased. [4976/13]
View answerThe Deputy will be aware that it was the previous Government which undertook to reduce Garda strength to 13,000, as part of its commitment to the Troika to reduce public service numbers overall. Garda strength is now just over 13,400 with an additional 2,000 civilian support staff and 1,000 Garda Reserves. Current numbers are at the level they were at in 2006/7. Garda strength has been reducing due to, on the one hand, the moratorium on public sector recruitment introduced by the previous Government and, on the other, the level of voluntary Garda retirements. The personnel strength of An Garda Síochána at the end of each of the last four years is shown on the following table:-
|
Year |
Strength |
|
2009 |
14,547 |
|
2010 |
14,377 |
|
2011 |
13,894 |
|
2012 |
13,424 |
On 31 March 2011, Garda strength was 14,327. I will remain in dialogue with my colleague the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform on the issue of Garda resources.
