Ruairí Ó Murchú
Question:665. Deputy Ruairí Ó Murchú asked the Minister for Justice the number of unfilled posts in the Louth Garda division, including rank in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [39230/22]
View answerThursday, 14 July 2022
Questions (665)
Written answers
I have contacted the Garda authorities for the information requested by the Deputy. Regrettably this was not available within the time available. I will write to the Deputy once the information is to hand.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51.
I refer to Parliamentary Question No. 665 of 14 July 2022 where you sought: “To ask the Minister for Justice the number of unfilled posts in the Louth Garda division, including rank in tabular form”.
As you will recall, Minister McEntee sought the information you requested from the Garda authorities and undertook to contact you again once the information was to hand. As these matters now fall under my remit, I am responding to your query. The delay in responding is regretted.
As you are aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including responsibility for the recruitment, training and distribution of Garda members. As Minister, I have no role in these matters.
Since 2015, the budget for An Garda Síochána has increased by approximately €672m, or 46%. This has allowed for sustained and ongoing recruitment and as Minister, I am committed to delivering the necessary resources to bring the number of Garda Members to 15,000 and beyond.
This level of funding will provide a steady pipeline of new Gardaí in the coming years, and the Government will continue to work with the Commissioner to ensure that An Garda Síochána is fully supported. Since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014 a total of 4,029 Garda members have attested, this includes the 369 Probationers who attested in 2022 and the 24 Probationers who attested on the 13 January 2023.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that at 31 December 2022, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 403 Garda members assigned to Louth Division, which includes: 333 Gardaí, 55 Sergeants, 13 Inspectors, and 2 Superintendents. This represents an increase of over 40% since the end of December 2015 when there were 287 Garda members assigned to the Division.
I am informed that An Garda Síochána does not hold authorised figures for unfilled posts at both Garda and Sergeant uniform ranks within Divisions.
I am further informed that when consideration is given to the allocation and transfer of Garda members to and from any Division, account is given to commitments and undertakings outlined in the Annual Policing Plan and priorities as determined in delivering ‘A Policing Service for The Future’.
I understand that the requirements of all Garda Divisions nationwide are also taken into account, which include:
- Local and national crime trends and workloads
- Policing arrangements and operational strategies
- Minimum establishment statistics
- Local population and trends, geographical area and size
- Transfer applications, including welfare, personnel issues and concerns
I also understand that local and senior Garda Management are consulted during the allocation of personnel and are responsible for the specific deployment and assignment of duties being undertaken at divisional level. The situation remains closely monitored by the Garda Senior Leadership Team, particularly in view of commitments to the continued roll-out of the operating model of policing at divisional level to ensure optimum use of all Garda Resources in providing the best possible Garda service to the community.
I trust this information is of assistance.