An Garda Síochána

Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 8 February 2022

Tuesday, 8 February 2022

Questions (585)

Catherine Murphy

Question:

585. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice if she will provide a schedule of the number of new Garda recruits deployed for their first module of work experience by district and by station in counties Kildare, Meath, Wicklow and Dublin in each of the years 2019 to 2021 and to date in 2022; and if she will provide the same information in respect of newly attested gardaí. [6504/22]

Written answers

Minister for Justice

As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including the deployment of Garda members. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.

I am assured, however, that 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 that 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 within the Division and its specific needs.

I am pleased to note that since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, a total of 3,781 Garda members have been assigned to Garda Divisions throughout the country. For the Deputy's information, the allocation of Probationer Gardaí by Division and station from 2015 up to 21 January 2022 is published on my Department's Website and can be accessed using the following link: www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Probationer_Gardaí.

Budget 2022 has provided an unprecedented allocation of in excess of €2 billion to An Garda Síochána, which includes funding for the recruitment of up to an additional 800 Gardaí and a further 400 Garda staff, subject to the public health situation. This significant investment demonstrates the Government's commitment to increasing the Garda workforce to enable the organisation to keep our communities safe.

I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, in relation to the the number of new Garda recruits deployed for their first module of work experience by district and by station in counties Kildare, Meath, Wicklow and Dublin but I have not received this information in time. I will write to the Deputy as soon as the information is to hand.

The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51

As you will recall, I provided information in respect of the newly attested Gardaí deployed to Kildare, Meath, Wicklow and Dublin for the dates requested. However, information in relation to the number of new Garda recruits deployed for their first module of work experience by district and by station in counties Kildare, Meath, Wicklow and Dublin, was not to hand and I undertook to contact you again once the information was received from the Garda authorities. I have now received a report from the Garda authorities and the information requested is outlined below.

As you will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including the deployment of Garda members. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.

I am assured, however, that 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 that 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 within the Division and its specific needs.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that a revised BA (Applied Policing) Programme was introduced due to COVID-19. In line with this programme, Trainee Gardaí are now required to complete a four-week Blended Learning Stage I of the programme which includes three weeks of online training followed by one week of instruction in the Garda College.

The Garda Trainees are then allocated to training stations for the Experiential Learning, Stage II of the programme for a minimum of twelve weeks, in an assisting capacity to Tutor Gardaí. In order to alleviate hardship being experienced by trainees, they have been allocated to training stations within close proximity to where they reside for this stage of the programme.

Following completion of this twelve-week block in a training station, the trainees will then transfer back under the Garda College to commence a three-week online course from their homes. They will then commence a sixteen-week residential course at the Garda College in order to complete Phase 1 of their training.

For your information, the table in the attached Appendix sets out the number of new Garda recruits deployed for their first module of work experience by district and by station in counties Kildare, Meath, Wicklow and Dublin from June 2020 up to December 2021.

Budget 2022 has provided an unprecedented allocation of in excess of €2 billion to An Garda Síochána, which includes funding for the recruitment of up to an additional 800 Gardaí and a further 400 Garda staff, subject to the public health situation. This significant investment demonstrates the Government's commitment to increasing the Garda workforce to enable the organisation to keep our communities safe.

I am pleased to note that since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, a total of 3,781 Garda members have been assigned to Garda Divisions throughout the country. For the Deputy's information, the allocation of Probationer Gardaí by Division and station from 2015 up to 21 January 2022 is published on my Department's Website and can be accessed using the following link:

http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Probationer_Gardaí

PQ 6504/22

Appendix

Garda recruits deployed for their first module of work experience in counties Kildare, Meath, Wicklow and Dublin from June 2020 up to December 2021.

					Intake No.	202	203		211		212		213	214
		District			Station	Jun-20	Jul-20		Jun-21		Jul-21		Oct-21	Dec
Division														2021
		Dun Laoghaire			Dun Laoghaire	2	1		2		1		1	1
DMR East		Blackrock			Blackrock				1				1	1
		Bridewell			Bridewell	1			2
		Fitzgibbon St			Mountjoy	1	1		2
DMR N/Central		Store Street			Store Street	2	2		2		2		4	4
		Ballymun			Ballymun	2	1		2		1		1	1
		Coolock			Coolock	1	2		2				1	1
DMR North		Raheny			Raheny	1			2				1	1
		Kevin Street			Kevin Street	2	1		2				2	2
		Pearse Street			Pearse Street	1	1		2		1		2	3
DMR S/Central		Donnybrook			Donnybrook				2
		Tallaght			Tallaght		2		2		1		3	2
		Crumlin			Crumlin	2			2
DMR South		Terenure			Terenure				2
		Clondalkin			Ballyfermot	1
		Blanchardstown			Blanchardstown	2	1		2		1		2	2
		Lucan			Ronanstown	1	1
		Clondalkin			Clondalkin		1		2		1		1	1
DMR West		Lucan			Lucan				2				1
			Intake No.	202		203		211		212		213		214
	District		Station	Jun-20		Jul-20		Jun-21		Jul-21		Oct-21		Dec
Division														2021
	Kildare		Athy	1		1		1				1		1
	Kildare		Kildare	1				1		1		1
	Naas		Naas	1		2		2		1		2
	Leixlip		Leixlip					2
Kildare	Kildare		Newbridge	1		1				1		1		1
	Kells		Kells					2		1		1
	Trim		Trim					3		1		1
	Ashbourne		Ashbourne			1		1				1
Meath	Navan		Navan	2		1		2				1		1
	Wicklow		Wicklow					1				1
	Bray		Bray			1		1				1
Wicklow	Baltinglass		Baltinglass					2		1