Written Answers Nos. 269-286
269. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank attached to the public order unit in the Cork city division in each of the years 2009 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form. [32331/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the deployment of Garda personnel and for the management and organisation of Garda operational units. I am assured that Garda management keep this deployment under continuing review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities, including with respect to concerns about public order and anti-social behaviour, so as to ensure that the best possible use is made of policing resources.
I am informed by the Commissioner that there are Gardaí with specialist training in public order policing in each Division who are available to be called upon when required to police events where there is an increased risk of a public order incident occurring for example protests or large scale public events. The number of Gardaí called upon is dependent on the nature of the event. As such there are no Gardaí assigned to public order units on a full-time basis.
270. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank attached to the community relations unit in the Cork city division in each of the years 2009 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form. [32332/18]
Amharc ar fhreagra275. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of dedicated community gardaí attached to the Cork city division and each district within it. [32337/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 270 and 275 together.
As the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is made of these resources.
Community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána. It provides a means of recognising that every community – both urban and rural – has its own concerns and expectations. That is why it is important to recognise that the role of a community Garda is not a specialist role in An Garda Síochána; rather it is the case that all Gardaí have a role to play in community policing in carrying out their duties. 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 a matter for the
Divisional Chief Superintendent to determine the optimum distribution of duties among the personnel available to him or her having regard to the profile of the area and its specific needs.
I am assured by the Commissioner that the Garda National Model of Community Policing plays a key part in responding to crime by taking into account and responding to local conditions and needs. Overall the Model advocates a partnership based, pro-active, community-orientated style of policing. It is focused on crime prevention, problem-solving and law enforcement, with a view to building trust and enhancing the quality of life of the entire community. Clear objectives are set, such as high visibility in the community, ease of contact by members of the public, and enhanced support for crime prevention strategies.
As part of the Community Policing Model An Garda Síochána work in partnership with local communities, to prevent and deter crime through initiatives such as Neighbourhood Watch, Community Alert, Text Alert and the Garda Schools Programme as well as through more formal structures such as Joint Policing Committees.
The Community Policing Model also places a strong emphasis on Crime Prevention and within each Garda Division, where there are specialist Crime Prevention Officers (CPOs), who are trained to encourage, promote and advise on crime prevention within communities.
In addition, the National Community Policing Office, attached to the Garda Community Engagement Bureau, captures best practice in community policing initiatives and disseminates these practices through its communication network. As such it is not possible to give details of the number of Gardaí attached to the National Community Policing Office in the manner requested.
I am informed by the Commissioner that the strength of the Cork City Division on 31 May 2018, the latest date for which information is readily available, was 678, of whom 28 members are Community Gardaí. There are also 42 Garda Reserves and 71 civilians attached to the Division. 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.
This 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 achieve this the Government has put in place a plan for an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021 comprising 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Reserve members and 4,000 civilians. We are making real, tangible progress on achieving this goal.
I am informed by the Commissioner that since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, almost 2,000 recruits have attested as members of An Garda Síochána and have been assigned to mainstream duties nationwide, of whom 53 members have been assigned to the Cork City Division. Garda numbers, taking account of retirements, increased to 13,551 at the end of 2017 – a net increase of over 600 since the end of 2016
I am pleased that funding is in place to maintain this high level of investment in the Garda workforce to ensure that the vision of an overall workforce of 21,000 by 2021 remains on track. This year a further 800 new Garda Recruits will enter the Garda College. In total, 800 Garda trainees are scheduled to attest during the year, 400 of whom have attested to date. Further, Garda numbers, taking account of projected retirements, are on track to reach 14,000 by the end of 2018.
In addition, a further 500 civilians will also be recruited to fill critical skills gaps across the organisation and to facilitate the redeployment of Gardaí from administrative and technical duties to front-line operational duties. There are plans to strengthen the Garda Reserve with new Reserves expected to commence training in 2018.
This focus on investment in personnel is critical. The moratorium on recruitment introduced in 2010 resulted in a significant reduction in the strength of An Garda Síochána. We are now rebuilding the organisation and providing the Commissioner with the resources needed to deploy increasing numbers of Gardaí across every Division, including the Cork City Division, as new Garda recruits continue to come on stream.
For the Deputies information I have set out in the table below the number of Community Gardaí by Station in the Cork City Division, as on 31 May 2018, the latest date for which figures are currently available, as supplied by the Commissioner.
|
Cork City Division Community Gardaí 31 May 2018 |
||
|
Station |
Gardaí |
Of whom are Community Gardaí |
|
ANGLESEA STREET |
297 |
5 |
|
BLACKROCK |
22 |
1 |
|
BRIDEWELL |
25 |
2 |
|
BALLINCOLLIG |
19 |
1 |
|
BLARNEY |
17 |
1 |
|
CARRIG NA BHFEAR |
1 |
0 |
|
GURRANABRAHER |
63 |
4 |
|
GLANMIRE |
19 |
1 |
|
MAYFIELD |
45 |
2 |
|
WATERCOURSE ROAD |
45 |
5 |
|
BISHOPSTOWN |
20 |
1 |
|
CARRIGALINE |
19 |
1 |
|
CROSSHAVEN |
1 |
0 |
|
DOUGLAS |
23 |
2 |
|
PASSAGE WEST |
3 |
0 |
|
TOGHER |
59 |
1 |
|
Garda Bureau of Community Engagement 31 May 2018 |
|||||||||
|
Rank |
CR |
DC |
AC |
CS |
SU |
IN |
SG |
GD |
Total |
|
Total |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
12 |
4 |
21 |
271. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda Reserve members in the Cork city division by division, district and sub-district in each of the years 2009 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form. [32333/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is made of these resources.
I am advised by the Commissioner that the strength of the Reserve on the 31 May 2018 was 558, 42 of whom are attached to the Cork City Division. It is regrettable that there has been a substantial reduction in the strength of the Reserve in recent years from a peak of 1,164 in 2013. The fall-off arises from a range of factors, not least the lifting in 2014 of the moratorium on recruitment of trainee Gardaí which has affected Reserve numbers in two ways: firstly, since 2014, 276 serving Reserves have successfully applied to become trainee Gardaí, and secondly, resources in both An Garda Síochána and in the Public Appointments Service (PAS) have been focused on delivering an accelerated programme of recruitment of full time members of An Garda Síochána.
I am sure that the Deputy will agree, notwithstanding the very valuable contribution of Reserve members throughout the country, that it was the right decision, with finite resources, to prioritise the running of recruitment campaigns to replenish the full-time ranks of An Garda Síochána over the last three years.
The "Programme for a Partnership Government" includes a commitment to double the Garda Reserve to act in a supportive role undertaking local patrols and crime reduction measures. In line with this, the Government has in place a plan to achieve a Reserve strength of 2,000 by 2021.
With the plan to reach 15,000 Garda members well on track, it was possible for the Commissioner and the Public Appointments Service to undertake a new recruitment campaign for Garda Reserves last March. That competition attracted 2,394 applicants of whom 498 successfully completed the initial stages carried out by PAS. These applications are currently being processed by the Garda Appointments Office. The time frame for this can vary due to a number factors, including the length of the vetting process which may, for example, be more time consuming if the applicant has resided abroad or is deferred for medical reasons. It is expected that the first of the successful candidates will commence training in the Garda College in the coming months.
In conjunction with the major expansion of the Reserve over the next number of years, we must ensure that it is used optimally to support effective policing. To inform future decisions around the use of the Reserve, An Garda Síochána is conducting a strategic review as a matter of priority to be completed in the first half of the year as set out in the Policing Plan 2018.
As a first step, the Garda Executive has taken a decision to transfer the management of the Reserve to the Assistant Commissioner with responsibility for Community Engagement. This is intended to ensure that its development and deployment is viewed more broadly through a community policing lens. This is a very welcome step as it is my strong view that the greatest dividend to be gained from the Reserve is in terms of a visible presence on the ground and engaging with local communities.
The material is not compiled in such a manner as to allow me to provide you with the number of Reserve Gardaí in each district over the period referred to; by way of assistance I have set out in the table attached the number of Reserve Gardaí in the Cork City Division from 2009 up to 31 May 2018, the latest date for which figures are currently available, as supplied by the Commissioner.
Cork City Garda Reserve 2009-2018
|
Year |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018* |
|
Total |
36 |
46 |
52 |
58 |
73 |
68 |
65 |
48 |
42 |
42 |
*As of 31 May 2018.
272. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of member training hours allocated to core gardaí attached to the Cork city division in each of the years 2009 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form. [32334/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs you will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for carrying on and managing and controlling generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána including by arranging for the training of the members and civilian staff of An Garda Síochána and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter.
I have requested the specific information sought by the Deputy from the Commissioner and I will write to him directly on receipt of same.
273. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of crimes by type of offence in each of the years 2009 to 2017 and to date in 2018 in the Cork city division by division, district and sub-district, in tabular form. [32335/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistical agency, is responsible for the compilation and publication of the official recorded crime statistics, and the CSO has established a dedicated unit for this purpose. I have asked the CSO to forward the available statistics in relation to the information requested directly to the Deputy.
276. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank attached to the serious crime review team in the Cork city division in each of the years 2009 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form. [32338/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is made of these resources.
I have requested the information sought from the Garda Commissioner and I will write to the Deputy on receipt of same.
The deferred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
278. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank attached to the special tactics and operational command unit in the Cork city division in each of the years 2009 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form. [32340/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is made of these resources.
I have requested the information sought from the Garda Commissioner and I will write to the Deputy on receipt of same.
The deferred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
280. Deputy Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank attached to the immigration unit in the Cork city division in each of the years 2009 to 2017 and to date in 2018, in tabular form. [32342/18]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy will appreciate, it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for the distribution of resources, including personnel, among the various Garda Divisions and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter. Garda management keeps this distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure that the optimum use is made of these resources.
I have requested the information sought from the Garda Commissioner and I will write to the Deputy on receipt of same.
The deferred reply under Standing Order 42A was forwarded to the Deputy.
