Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 27 May 2020
362. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank attached to the Meath Garda division as of 18 May 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7961/20]
View answer363. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank attached to Meath Garda roads policing unit as of 18 May 2020; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7962/20]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 362 and 363 together.
The Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for the management of An Garda Síochána, including personnel matters and deployment of resources. As Minister, I have no responsibility for these matters. I am assured however that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities, to ensure their optimum use.
The resources provided to An Garda Síochána have reached unprecedented levels, with an allocation for 2020 of €1.88 billion. This level of funding is enabling sustained, ongoing recruitment of Garda members and staff and as a result, An Garda Síochána is a growing organisation. There are now over 14,700 Gardaí nationwide, supported by over 3,000 Garda staff and these numbers are continuing to grow. Taken together, this increase in the number of Garda members and staff is delivering a significant increase in operational policing hours nationwide.
Specifically in relation to Meath Division, I am informed by the Garda authorities that as of the end of April 2020, a total of 346 Garda members were assigned to the Meath Division, in addition to 41 Garda staff. This represents a significant increase in recent years: I understand that by contrast, in December 2015 there were a total of 277 Garda members and 26 Garda staff in the Division.
I am further informed that, as at 30 April 2020, the latest date for which figures are available, the strength of the Roads Policing Units stands at 739 Garda members. Of this, I understand that 18 Gardaí and 2 Sergeants were specifically assigned to Meath Roads Policing Unit as on the same date.
The Deputy may wish to be aware that a detailed breakdown of Garda numbers is available on my Department’s website, in the interests of transparency and for the convenience of Deputies and the wider public. This information is updated every month with the latest data provided by An Garda Síochána. Information on Garda members is available at the following link:
http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/002_Garda_Numbers_by_Division_District_and_Station_2009_to_March_2020.xlsx/Files/002_Garda_Numbers_by_Division_District_and_Station_2009_to_March_2020.xlsx
Information on the Garda workforce including Garda staff is available at the following link:
http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Garda_Workforce
