Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 16 February 2023
37. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí assigned to the drugs and community policing units in the Ballymun sub-district for the past five years up to the latest date possible; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [7675/23]
View answerAs the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005, as amended, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business, including the distribution and stationing of Garda members throughout the State, including to specialist units within the organisation. As Minister, I have no role in these independent, operational functions.
I am assured that the Garda Commissioner keeps the allocation of resources under continued review to ensure their optimum use. This takes into account factors including crime trends, operational strategies and local population figures.
I have been informed by the Garda authorities that the number of Community Gardaí assigned to the Ballymun area is currently less than 10. I am further advised by the Garda authorities that counts of less than 10 cannot be provided due to data protection concerns.
The official categorisation as a Community Garda simply refers to those who are exclusively assigned to building relationships with local communities and civil society, including giving talks to schools, community groups and others. It is important to note that community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána and that all Gardaí have a role to play in community policing in the course of carrying out their duties.
The table below, provided to me by Garda authorities, outlines the number of Gardaí assigned to the Drugs Unit in the DMR North Division, of which Ballymun is part.
|
Year |
Drugs Unit DMR North |
|
31/12/2018 |
19 |
|
31/12/2019 |
19 |
|
31/12/2020 |
30 |
|
31/12/2021 |
28 |
|
31/12/2022 |
29 |
