Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 17 April 2018
38. Deputy Lisa Chambers asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of new Garda recruits assigned to each Garda station in County Mayo in each of the years 2014 to 2017 and to date in 2018; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [16563/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI should state at the outset that the distribution of Garda personnel, including the allocation of newly attested gardaí, is exclusively the statutory responsibility of the Garda Commissioner. Notwithstanding the Commissioner's responsibility, I have provided for the record, in tabular form, the detailed information requested by the Deputy.
I am informed by the Garda Commissioner that, as of the 28 February 2018, the latest date for which figures are available, the strength of the Mayo division was 328. When appropriate, the work of local gardaí is supported by a number of Garda national units such as the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation, the armed support units, the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau. I assure the House that the Government is committed to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and to deter crime. To make this a reality for everybody, the Government has in place a plan for an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021, including 15,000 Garda members.
Real, tangible progress has been made towards this goal. Garda numbers, taking account of projected retirements, increased to 13,551 at the end of last year, a net increase of over 600 since the end of 2016. The Deputy will be aware that in 2010 a previous Government closed the Garda College and imposed a moratorium - the measures imposed at that time had a negative impact on garda numbers across all divisions and the legacy of these decisions continues to have consequences for policing. When it had brought about an early exit from the bailout and stabilised the public finances in September 2014, the then Government responded and the college in Templemore has since reopened and just under 1,800 recruits have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and are performing mainstream duties nationwide, 19 of whom have been assigned to the Mayo division.
Probationer Garda Allocations 2015 – 2018*
|
DIVISION |
STATION |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
Total |
|
MAYO |
CASTLEBAR |
5 |
0 |
10 |
0 |
15 |
|
|
BALLINA |
0 |
0 |
4 |
0 |
4 |
|
Total |
|
5 |
0 |
14 |
0 |
19 |
* To date in 2018
We know that the Minister's Government likes to hark back to 2010 and even further back. However, we need to deal with 2018 and current Government commitments. If the Minister says he has increased the Garda numbers in Mayo up to 328, that means an increase on last year of a grand total of 12 extra gardaí for the entire county. Last year, the figure for the traffic corps in Mayo was 11. To put that into perspective, in 2010 it was 27. Even if we take all of the brand new shiny 12 gardaí that the Minister has managed to give County Mayo this year and put them all into the traffic corps, we would still only be at 23. If we went back eight years we had 27. We are not actually getting to grips with the deficit in Garda numbers in Mayo. I appreciate that much of the focus of this Government appears to be more on the urban centres but rural crime, whether the Minister likes to accept it or not, is a massive issue. It is frightening people. They do not feel that they are properly protected because they know they do not have adequate numbers of gardaí. Will the Minister confirm how many gardaí went into the traffic corps and is he satisfied that an increase of 12 gardaí for a county the size of Mayo is sufficient to provide the policing that he has just articulated?
I have the figures in front of me for the division Garda numbers for December 2009 to now. There are more gardaí now in County Mayo than there were in 2017, 2016, 2015, 2014, 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 and in 2009. I can go back further if the Deputy wishes. However, I am pleased that funding has been provided to maintain this high level of investment in the Garda workforce. This year a further 800 new Garda recruits will enter the Garda College. In total, 800 Garda trainees are scheduled to attest during this year and 200 of these attested last month. Taking account of projected retirements, Garda numbers are on track to reach a total of 14,000 by the end of this year. The focus on investment in personnel is critical. We are now rebuilding the organisation and providing the Commissioner with the resources needed to deploy increasing numbers of gardaí. Undoubtedly, the ongoing recruitment process will support all Garda activities, enhance Garda visibility within our communities and enable the Commissioner to provide additional resources across every division, including the Mayo division as new Garda recruits come onstream.
I have the figures provided by the Minister's Department in front of me as well. While we have an increase this year, my point is that it is 12. That is minuscule. The figure was on a downwards trajectory from 2011 to 2016. The increase is really only bringing us back up to 2008 levels. My point is that we need to police our country and enforce our laws.
We also have a second challenge born of the controversies with An Garda Síochána in recent years. We need to rebuild confidence.
Let us consider the strength of the traffic corps. At the end of last year we had 11 members of the traffic corps in County Mayo. Even if we directed all 12 of the new gardaí assigned to Mayo, which is unlikely to happen, we would still only be at 23, which is below the 2010 level by four. There was a commitment that the traffic corps numbers would increase by 10% by the end of last year, but that did not happen. The numbers were meant to increase by a further 10% this year. Will the Minister tell the House whether that will happen?
It is important that justice is seen to be done and that we enforce our laws. However, I do not believe the Minister or his Department are doing enough to rebuild the confidence that has been lost in An Garda Síochána because of the numerous controversies that have shaken the force in recent years. County Mayo deserves the same level of commitment as other parts of the country.
I am sure Deputy Chambers will accept the fact that the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution of resources across the various Garda divisions and districts. As Minister for Justice and Equality I have no direct role in this matter. If I had, I imagine Deputy O'Callaghan and others would have something to say about it that might not be too complimentary. I am assured that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities, including road traffic issues, to ensure optimum use is made of these resources. I assure the House that the Government is committed to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country to maintain the strength of community engagement and provide reassurance to citizens. Members will be aware that the increase in Garda numbers last year represented the first significant increase since numbers stared falling in 2009, and that is good to see. It is great that we have been able to drive this level of recruitment. It has seen the number of gardaí assigned to the Mayo division increase by 30 as of 28 February last, the latest date for which figures are readily available, as compared with the end of 2014.
Undoubtedly, the investment in resources and the ongoing recruitment process will support Garda activities and enable the Commissioner to provide additional resources to County Mayo in response to the Deputy's submissions.
