asked the Minister for Justice the number of Gardaí who are at present serving in divisions in their native area; the number of instances in the past 12 months when members of the Garda Síochána have been refused applications for transfer to divisions in their native area; and, in general, the reasons for such refusals.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Garda Transfers.
31.
It is established practice that members of the Force are not allowed to serve in their native division or within a radius of 30 miles of their native place except where their service is in the Gaeltacht or in the Dublin Metropolitan Area or where there are special reasons which, in the Commissioner's view, justify a departure from the ordinary rule.
Records are not readily available of the number of Dublin-born members who are serving in Dublin. In the rest of the country there are 185 gardaí serving in their native divisions, 49 of them being in Gaeltacht areas.
In the past 12 months, 32 applications for transfer to native divisions were refused. In eight of these cases there were special circumstances which, in the Commissioner's view, would justify the transfers but the applications had to be refused because there were no vacancies or married accommodation at the places to which the applicants applied to go.