Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 July 2017
135. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of community gardaí based in each of the stations at Clontarf, Raheny, Ballymun, Santry, Howth and Coolock in north County Dublin in each of the years 2011 to 2016, and to date in 2017, in tabular form. [31622/17]
View answerAs the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps 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. I am informed by the Commissioner that in regard to the deployment of Garda personnel, a distribution model is used which takes into account all relevant factors including population, crime trends and the policing needs of each individual Garda Division. It is the responsibility of the Divisional Officer to allocate personnel within his/her Division.
The Commissioner has advised that all Gardaí, not simply designated Community Gardaí have a role to play in addressing community policing issues as and when the need arises and, in that sense, community policing involves far more than a single unit within An Garda Síochána.
Community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána. It provides a means of recognising that every community – both urban and rural – has its own concerns and expectations. In this regard I welcome the strong emphasis placed by the Garda Commissioner's Modernisation and Renewal Programme 2016-2021 on further developing and supporting the community policing ethos of the organisation so that Gardaí spend more time in the community, gaining public confidence and trust and providing a greater sense of security. Proposed initiatives include the establishment of local Community Policing Teams (CPTs) headed by an Inspector and made up of Gardaí from across a range of areas to proactively work with the community to prevent and detect crime; and the establishment of Community Safety Fora in every District comprising local Gardaí, local communities and key stakeholders.
Clontarf, Raheny, Ballymun, Santry, Howth and Coolock Garda stations form part of the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) North Division. The strength of this Division was 664 on the 31 May 2017, together with 49 Garda Reserves and 40 civilians. When appropriate, the work of local Gardaí is supported by a number of Garda national units such as the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau.
This Government is committed to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and deter crime. To make this a reality for all, the Government has in place a plan to achieve an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021 comprising 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Reserve members and 4,000 civilians. This year, funding has been provided for the recruitment of 800 Garda recruits and up to 500 civilians to support the wide ranging reform plan in train in An Garda Síochána. Funding has also been provided for the recruitment of 300 Garda Reserves.
This plan is progressing apace. I am informed by the Commissioner, since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, that almost 1,000 recruits have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream duties nationwide, 75 of whom have been assigned to the DMR North Division. I am also informed that another 200 trainee Gardaí will attest this Thursday 6 July and that a further four hundred are scheduled to attest later this year which will see Garda numbers, taking account of projected retirements, increase to around the 13,500 mark by year end - an increase of 500 since the end of 2016.
This focus on investment in personnel is critical. The moratorium on recruitment introduced in 2010 resulted in a significant reduction in the strength of An Garda Síochána. We are now rebuilding the organisation and providing the Commissioner with the resources she needs to allow her to deploy increasing numbers of Gardaí including Community Gardaí across every Garda Division in the coming years.
This investment in personnel is complemented by substantial investment in resources across the board for An Garda Síochána. The Deputy will be aware of the significant resources that have been made available to An Garda Síochána under the Government's Capital Plan 2016 - 2021. In particular, some €205 million in additional funding for Garda ICT and €46 million for new Garda vehicles has been allocated over the lifetime of the plan. This investment will facilitate the provision of more effective policing services and I have no doubt that these new resources now coming on stream will see an increase in Garda visibility in our communities.
For ease of reference, I have provided below as supplied by the Commissioner, the information requested in relation to the number Community Gardaí assigned to Clontarf, Raheny, Ballymun, Santry, Howth and Coolock Garda Stations from 2011 to 2016. I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from the Garda Commissioner in relation to 2017 and I will write to the Deputy on receipt of same.
Community Garda 2011 - 2016
|
Station |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
|
Ballymun |
15 |
12 |
10 |
9 |
6 |
6 |
|
Clontarf |
7 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
5 |
5 |
|
Coolock |
13 |
19 |
15 |
16 |
16 |
14 |
|
Howth |
4 |
4 |
4 |
2 |
3 |
3 |
|
Raheny |
6 |
6 |
5 |
5 |
7 |
5 |
|
Santry |
6 |
11 |
8 |
6 |
4 |
3 |
A deferred reply was forwarded to the Deputy under Standing Order 42A
