Garda Reserve

Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 13 July 2017

Thursday, 13 July 2017

Questions (394, 435)

Jim O'Callaghan

Question:

394. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda reserves in each Garda division; and the number for the same date in 2016. [33801/17]

Róisín Shortall

Question:

435. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress his Department has made in doubling the Garda Reserve, as promised in A Programme for A Partnership Government; the timeline for completing this; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34686/17]

Written answers

Minister for Justice and Equality

I propose to take Questions Nos. 394 and 435 together.

As the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the recruitment and training of the Garda Reserve and the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter.

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 plan is progressing well. This year, funding has been provided for the recruitment of 300 Garda Reserves, 800 Garda recruits and up to 500 civilians to support the wide ranging reform plan in train in An Garda Síochána.

It is regrettable that there has been a substantial reduction in the strength of the Reserve in recent years from a peak of 1,164 in 2013 to 638 as of 31 May 2017. The fall-off arises from a range of factors, not least the lifting in 2014 of the moratorium on recruitment of trainee Gardaí which has affected Reserve numbers in two ways - firstly some 200 serving Reserves have successfully applied to become trainee Gardaí, and secondly, resources in both An Garda Síochána and in the Public Appointment Service have been focused on delivering an accelerated programme of recruitment of full time members of An Garda Síochána. I am sure that the Deputy will agree, notwithstanding the very valuable contribution of Reserve members throughout the country, that it was the right decision, with finite resources, to prioritise the running of recruitment campaigns to replenish the full-time ranks of An Garda Síochána over the last three years. With the plan to reach 15,000 Garda members well on track it was possible for the Commissioner and the Public Appointments Service to undertake a new recruitment campaign for Garda Reserves. That is now in train and received a strong response. This will, allowing for the selection process and necessary training of successful candidates, facilitate a start to be made on strengthening of the Reserve across every Garda Division, in the coming years.

For the Deputy's information I have set out in the table, as provided by the Commissioner, the strength of the Garda Reserve in each Division from 31 May 2016 and 31 May 2017, the latest date for which figures are readily available.

Garda Reserve Strength 31 May 2016 - 31 May 2017

Division	2016	2017
DMR South Central	63	39
DMR North Central	52	40
DMR North	53	49
DMR East	18	12
DMR South	33	23
DMR West	44	27
Waterford	29	21
Wexford	31	20
Tipperary	26	19
Kilkenny/Carlow	31	26
Cork City	59	45
Cork North	21	16
Cork West	19	10
Kerry	31	20
Limerick	50	32
Donegal	25	20
Cavan/Monaghan	15	12
Sligo/Leitrim	26	19
Louth	37	29
Clare	8	6
Mayo	29	22
Galway	38	32
Roscommon/Longford	11	9
Westmeath	18	13
Meath	27	17
Kildare	29	21
Laois/Offaly	23	17
Wicklow	24	22
Total	870	638