Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 22 June 2021
499. Deputy David Cullinane asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí by rank attached to the Waterford divisional drugs unit as of 30 June 2020 and 14 June 2021, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33119/21]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including personnel matters and deployment of resources. As Minister, I have no direct role in 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.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that there are now 321 Garda personnel in Divisional Drugs Units as of 31 May 2021, assigned to tackle drug related crime on a local basis throughout the country. This represents an increase of over 4% since 30 June 2020 when there were 308 Gardaí assigned to Divisional Drugs units nationwide. These members are supported, as needed, by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau which has 93 Gardaí attached to it as of 31 May 2021.
The table below, which has been provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the number of Gardaí assigned to Waterford Divisional Drugs unit at 30 June 2020 and 31 May 2021, the latest date for which figures are available.
|
Drugs Unit - Waterford Division |
Garda |
Sergeant |
Total |
|
30 June 2020 |
12 |
1 |
13 |
|
31 May 2021 |
12 |
1 |
13 |
A detailed breakdown of Garda numbers is available on my Department’s website. This information is updated every month with the latest statistics provided by An Garda Síochána. Information on Garda staff, the Garda Workforce and other facts and figures are available from the following link: http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Garda_Workforce
