Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 January 2019
243. Deputy Mattie McGrath asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí in each Garda station in County Tipperary as at 30 December 2018; the number of new recruits assigned to the division since recruitment resumed in 2014; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2553/19]
View answerAs the Deputy is aware, the manner in which the resources of the Garda Síochána are deployed is solely a matter for the Garda Commissioner and his management team and I, as Minister, have no direct role in this regard. I am informed by the Commissioner that 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 resources.
Since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, just under 2,400 recruits have attested as members and have been assigned to mainstream duties nationwide including 800 trainees who passed out from the college during 2018. The Government has increased the budget for An Garda Síochána to €1.76 billion for 2019, which includes provision for the recruitment of up to 800 Gardaí this year. The Commissioner has now informed me that he plans to recruit a total of 600 trainee Gardaí in 2019 and, in addition, it is his intention to recruit a net 600 Garda Civilian Staff. This Garda Staff recruitment will allow the Commissioner to redeploy a further 500 fully trained Gardaí from administrative duties to frontline policing in 2019.
The Garda Commissioner has confirmed that the Government’s commitment to increase the overall strength of An Garda Síochána to 15,000 Garda members will be achieved by the target date of 2021. The Government fully supports the Commissioner’s management decision which will ensure that increasing numbers of Gardaí are available for frontline duties in the prevention and detection of criminal activity whether it be in the area of drug offences crime or otherwise in 2019 and beyond.
The Garda strength of the Tipperary Division as of 31 December 2018 as provided by the Garda Commissioner is available on my Department’s website at the following link:
Garda strength of the Tipperary Division
The information requested by the Deputy regarding new recruits as provided by the Garda Commissioner, is available on my Department’s website at the following link:
New Recruits as provided by the Garda Commissioner
