Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 December 2017
219. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí, the number of Garda Reserve, the number of community gardaí and the number of civilian staff assigned to each Garda station in counties Laois and Offaly in each of the years 2010 to 2017. [53987/17]
View answer220. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí, the number of Garda Reserve, the number of community gardaí and the number of civilian staff assigned to each Garda station in counties Carlow and Kilkenny in each of the years 2010 to 2017. [53988/17]
View answer221. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí, the number of Garda Reserve, the number of community gardaí and the number of civilian staff assigned to each Garda station in County Waterford in each of the years 2010 to 2017. [53989/17]
View answer222. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí, the number of Garda Reserve, the number of community gardaí and the number of civilian staff assigned to each Garda station in west County Cork in each of the years 2010 to 2017. [53990/17]
View answer223. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí, the number of Garda Reserve, the number of community gardaí and the number of civilian staff assigned to each Garda station in north County Cork in each of the years 2010 to 2017. [53991/17]
View answer224. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí, the number of Garda Reserve, the number of community gardaí and the number of civilian staff assigned to each Garda station in County Kerry in each of the years 2010 to 2017. [53992/17]
View answer225. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí, the number of Garda Reserve, the number of community gardaí and the number of civilian staff assigned to each Garda station in County Limerick in each of the years 2010 to 2017. [53993/17]
View answer226. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí, the number of Garda Reserve, the number of community gardaí and the number of civilian staff assigned to each Garda station in County Clare in each of the years 2010 to 2017. [53994/17]
View answer227. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí, the number of Garda Reserve, the number of community gardaí and the number of civilian staff assigned to each Garda station in County Galway in each of the years 2010 to 2017. [53995/17]
View answer228. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí, the number of Garda Reserve, the number of community gardaí and the number of civilian staff assigned to each Garda station in County Mayo in each of the years 2010 to 2017. [53996/17]
View answer229. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí, the number of Garda Reserve, the number of community gardaí and the number of civilian staff assigned to each Garda station in counties Sligo and Leitrim in each of the years 2010 to 2017. [53997/17]
View answer230. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí, the number of Garda Reserve, the number of community gardaí and the number of civilian staff assigned to each Garda station in County Donegal in each of the years 2010 to 2017. [53998/17]
View answer231. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí, the number of Garda Reserve, the number of community gardaí and the number of civilian staff assigned to each Garda station in counties Cavan and Monaghan in each of the years 2010 to 2017. [53999/17]
View answer232. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí, the number of Garda Reserve, the number of community gardaí and the number of civilian staff assigned to each Garda station in County Louth in each of the years 2010 to 2017. [54000/17]
View answer233. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí, the number of Garda Reserve, the number of community gardaí and the number of civilian staff assigned to each Garda station in County Meath in each of the years 2010 to 2017. [54001/17]
View answer234. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí, the number of Garda Reserve, the number of community gardaí and the number of civilian staff assigned to each Garda station in County Kildare in each of the years 2010 to 2017. [54002/17]
View answer235. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí, the number of Garda Reserve, the number of community gardaí and the number of civilian staff assigned to each Garda station in County Wicklow in each of the years 2010 to 2017. [54003/17]
View answer236. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí, the number of Garda Reserve, the number of community gardaí and the number of civilian staff assigned to each Garda station in County Westmeath in each of the years 2010 to 2017. [54004/17]
View answer237. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí, the number of Garda Reserve, the number of community gardaí and the number of civilian staff assigned to each Garda station in counties Longford and Roscommon in each of the years 2010 to 2017. [54005/17]
View answer238. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí, the number of Garda Reserve, the number of community gardaí and the number of civilian staff assigned to each Garda station in County Tipperary in each of the years 2010 to 2017. [54006/17]
View answer239. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí, the number of Garda Reserve, the number of community gardaí and the number of civilian staff assigned to each Garda station in County Wexford in each of the years 2010 to 2017. [54007/17]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 219 to 239, inclusive, together.
As 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. As the Deputy will be aware, 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 to deter crime. To achieve this the Government has put in place a plan for an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021 comprising 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Reserve members and 4,000 civilians. We are making real, tangible progress on achieving this goal. I am informed by the Commissioner that since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, just under 1,600 recruits have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream duties nationwide. Garda numbers taking account of projected retirements, will increase to around the 13,500 mark by year end - a net increase of 500 since the end of 2016. I am also pleased that Budget 2018 maintains this high level of investment in the Garda workforce and ensures that the vision of an overall workforce of 21,000 by 2021 remains on track. A further 800 new Garda Recruits will enter the Garda College. This will see Garda numbers reach the 14,000 mark by the end of 2018. In addition, a further 500 civilians will also be recruited to fill critical skills gaps across the organisation and to facilitate the redeployment of Gardaí from administrative and technical duties to front-line operational duties. There are plans to strengthen the Garda Reserve with new Reserves expected to commence training early in 2018. 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 needed to deploy increasing numbers of Gardaí across every Garda Division, in the coming years. As the information requested by the Deputy, which relates to the period 2010 to 31 October 2017, the latest date for which figures are readily available, is very voluminous, I am arranging to have it forwarded in hard copy form.
