Pa Daly
Question:425. Deputy Pa Daly asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí that have been redeployed in 2020, 2021 and 2022 as a result of the hiring of civilian/non-sworn staff. [19504/23]
View answerTuesday, 25 April 2023
Questions (425)
Written answers
As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including for the recruitment, training and deployment of Garda members and staff. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Government is committed to doubling the number of Garda staff to 4,000. The purpose of this policy is, in part, to allow for the redeployment of highly skilled professional Gardaí from administrative to front-line policing roles. As far as possible, Garda members should be assigned to posts requiring police powers or experience.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that as of 31 March 2023, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 3,130 Garda staff. This represents an increases of almost 56% since the end of December 2015 when there were 2,007 Garda staff.
I can also inform the Deputy that since 2015, civilianisation has freed almost 900 Garda members from back office duties nationwide to return to the front line policing for which they have been highly trained. This includes 144 in 2020, 98 in 2021 37.5 in 2022.
Question No. 426 answered with Question No. 396.