Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 8 July 2021
94. Deputy Christopher O'Sullivan asked the Minister for Justice the number of community gardaí in the Clonakilty, Bandon and Bantry Garda districts of County Cork; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [36795/21]
View answerI am looking for details on the number of community gardaí in the Bantry, Bandon and Clonakilty districts.
I thank the Deputy for raising what is a very important issue. The resources provided by the Government to An Garda Síochána have reached unprecedented levels, with an allocation of €1.88 billion in 2020 and of €1.952 billion in 2021. This has enabled sustained ongoing recruitment into the organisation. As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the general management and administration of the Garda organisation under the Garda Síochána Act 2005. This includes the deployment of members of An Garda Síochána throughout the State. Neither I nor the Minister has any role in these independent functions. However, I am assured Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of policing priorities and crime trends, to ensure their optimum use.
I further understand it is a matter for the divisional chief superintendent to determine the optimum distribution of duties among the personnel available to him or her, having regard to the profile of each area in the division and its specific needs.
As I have set out in my earlier responses on Garda resources, the official categorisation as a community garda is simply a reference to those officers who are exclusively assigned to a particular community engagement task. In this regard I am informed by the Garda authorities that, as of 31 May 2021, there is currently one designated community garda in each of the Garda districts of Clonakilty, Bandon and Bantry. However, it is important to note that community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána and all gardaí have a role to play in community policing in carrying out their duties. This has never been more evident than in the work carried out by all members of the Garda as we have tackled the Covid-19 pandemic. I extend thanks for the effort and determination of the Garda Síochána right across this country, including my county of Wexford, and for its commitment to protecting our communities during the Covid-19 pandemic.
As of 31 May 2021, a total of 305 Garda members were assigned to the west Cork division, an increase of 10.5% since December 2015, when 276 Garda members were assigned to the division. These members are supported by 37 Garda staff, an increase of almost 61% on December 2015.
I must echo the Minister of State's sentiments on the unbelievable work that An Garda Síochána has done through the pandemic. However, I come back to the crux of this matter, which is the real shortage of community gardaí in the west Cork division. The number for all of west Cork is four community gardaí and if we go to north Cork, there are seven community gardaí. If we go to Cork city, however, there are 40 community gardaí, so there is a major imbalance.
The Minister of State indicates it is down to the chief superintendent to decide how many community gardaí are in a district but the chief superintendent must pull from front-line resources in order to fill such positions, so this is a resourcing issue. The new model of policing coming down the line will see the west and north areas combined, and north Cork will include east Cork areas such as Youghal and Cobh. There will be a huge area served by 11 community gardaí compared with 40 in the city. It is a major imbalance. There are 310,000 people living in the county and 210,000 people living in the city. That imbalance must be addressed.
The close connections between the gardaí and the community are key to policing by consent. The community garda really promotes this. It is very important that as gardaí in those roles move on, they are replaced as quickly as possible. We have been very fortunate across the west Cork Garda division to have had Garda James O'Mahony working so closely with young people right around the area. He established the Garda youth awards to promote connections between younger people and to recognise the huge efforts of many younger people. He is now retiring and he is possibly the oldest garda in the country. It is very important that roles like this are backfilled quickly to ensure the connection between people and the Garda is maintained, nurtured and promoted. I wish Garda O'Mahony every success in his retirement. As we move to a county area, this becomes a more challenging role, so it is very important that the roles are quickly filled in order to maintain those connections.
I thank Deputies O'Sullivan and Moynihan for their commitment in supporting An Garda Síochána and highlighting its efforts and needs.
The Garda Commissioner and the local chief superintendent determine the number of gardaí in an area and whether they should be designated as community gardaí but all gardaí have a role in community policing. It is at the heart of what they do. A number of pilot projects have been established around local community safety partnerships and we expect they will be rolled out right across the country over the coming years. They are somewhat similar to the structures under the old RAPID system and the existing local community development committee, LCDC, system. There will be a greater input from the Garda Síochána working with other community groups, including the local authorities, the HSE and Tusla, where needed, so they can all work together to ensure appropriate community policing and supports across all the areas in Ireland.
At four community gardaí, west Cork has the lowest number of such gardaí in the entire country. Driving from Kinsale in the east of the constituency to Dursey Sound in the west takes approximately two and a half hours. It is a huge geographical area. I appreciate, as the Minister of State indicates, that the chief superintendent has the responsibility in this but it is a resourcing matter. If the chief superintendent must put gardaí into the community garda division, he or she will have to take them from the drugs or detective unit or those gardaí on the front line. It is a resourcing matter.
The new overall policing model that is being rolled out nationally has committed to the resourcing of community gardaí. I would love the Department and the Minister of State to look at west Cork's numbers in this regard. I thank the Minister of State.
As we move to a larger county model, these gardaí will be more and more stretched. It is very important that roles would be backfilled as quickly as they become vacant. We would almost need a number of gardaí to replace the work of Garda O'Mahony. The deep-rooted connection to the community, working with younger people, is something that would be lost very quickly if gardaí did not maintain it. We must ensure those resources are available so gardaí can work proactively. I encourage the Minister of State, in every way possible, and especially now we are moving to a countywide Garda set-up in Cork, to ensure they have the required resources.
The last budget provided the largest ever amount of funding for An Garda Síochána. There is a commitment to the recruitment of additional gardaí to be distributed across the country as they graduate. There is a commitment under the 2021 budget for 620 new gardaí this year, although due to the pandemic it will be difficult to meet that number. The target is now 450, to be spread over four intakes, and the first intake has already commenced. I hope we can make up the difference next year and the gardaí, once they graduate, will be distributed across the country.
The chief superintendent makes the designation as to whether somebody should be a community garda on the basis of prioritisation and needs in a particular area. We will continue our commitment to the recruitment of additional gardaí so we can have the resources necessary right across this country.
