Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 5 July 2016
110. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of members of An Garda Síochána attached to the R and J districts on 31 December 2015 and on 28 June 2016; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19722/16]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and Districts, and I as Minister have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keep this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is made of these resources.
The Garda Síochána R (Coolock, Malahide and Swords) and J (Raheny, Clontarf and Howth) Districts are part of the Garda Division of Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) North. I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that on the 31 December 2015 there were 197 and 159 Gardaí attached to the Garda Síochána R and J Districts, respectively. On the 31 May 2016, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 202 and 160 Gardaí attached to the Garda Síochána R and J Districts, respectively.
As the Deputy will be aware, when the financial crisis hit, the Government of the time introduced a moratorium on recruitment and the four year National Recovery Plan, published in 2010, envisaged a steady reduction in Garda numbers. In a recovering economy, we were able to reopen the Garda College in September 2014, and a total of 851 Garda trainees have been recruited with a further 300 planned to be recruited during the remainder of this year. So far 463 of the new Garda trainees have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream uniform duties nationwide. Another 76 will attest on the 7 July with 150 more to attest in November. Of these, 35 newly attested members have been assigned to the DMR North Division.
The Programme for Government, "A Programme for a Partnership Government" commits to continuing the ongoing accelerated Garda recruitment programme with a view to increasing Garda numbers to 15,000. Taking account of projected retirements of around 300 this year, the current rate of recruitment will bring Garda numbers to around the 13,000 mark this year. We must, I believe, endeavour to make more rapid progress than this to reach our target of 15,000 and I am engaging with my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, in relation to increasing the planned annual intake this year and in coming years.
