Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 July 2020
916. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the strength of An Garda Síochána, including the Garda Reserve; the degree to which the numbers have fluctuated in the past four years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [15002/20]
View answerThe 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.
As at 31 May 2020, there are now 14,700 Gardaí - the largest ever number - and 436 Garda Reserves nationwide, supported by over 3,000 Garda staff and these numbers are continuing to grow.
A detailed breakdown of the Garda workforce, including Garda members, Garda Reserves and Garda staff, is available on my Department’s website. This information is updated every month with the latest data provided by An Garda Síochána, in the interests of transparency and for the convenience of Deputies and the wider public.
Information on the Garda workforce including Garda staff is available at the following link:
http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Garda_Workforce
Information on the strength of the Garda Reserve in each of the years from 2009 to 31 May 2020 can be found at the following link:
http://justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Garda_Reserve.
