Written Answers Nos. 421-442
421. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if tenders have been invited from the shortlist of contractors for a new college (details supplied); if so, the closing date for receipt of tenders for the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14187/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that the project to which he refers has been devolved for delivery to Kildare and Wicklow Education and Training Board (KWETB).
The Department has recently received a revised Stage 2B report from KWETB and its design team. A review of this report by officials in my Department is currently underway and should be completed shortly. Tender documents can be expected to issue to the shortlisted tenderers immediately thereafter.
422. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Education and Skills if tenders have been invited from the shortlist of contractors for a new school (details supplied) in County Kildare; if so, the closing date for receipt of tenders for the project; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14188/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe major building project referred to by the Deputy is currently at Stage 2b – Detailed Design.
The pre-qualification process to select a shortlist of suitable contractors has been completed and the Design Team is currently completing work to ensure the new school building is NZEB compliant.
Once this work is complete the Department will be in contact with the Board of Management with a view to progressing the project to tender stage.
A tender stage normally takes between 7 and 8 months to complete.
423. Deputy Brendan Ryan asked the Minister for Education and Skills further to Parliamentary Question No. 212 of 26 February 2019, the reason for the delay in the completion of the acquisition of the site in view of the fact that the agreement in principle to acquire the site for the new schools was agreed 17 months ago; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14189/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy states, agreement in principle to acquire this site has been reached . Subsequently, work has been continuing in liaison with the landowner in question and Kildare County Council in addressing technical considerations crucial to the delivery of the site and the commencement of the legal conveyancing process. Due to reasons of commercial sensitivity I am unable to elaborate further at this point but please rest assured that efforts to secure the site and ongoing and are being prioritised.
424. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the OPW has carried out a recent assessment of Carndonagh courthouse, Carndonagh, County Donegal; if issues have been identified; his plans to remedy same; the timeframe involved; if the OPW will work with the Courts Service to ensure a temporary venue is made available in Carndonagh and that court sittings continue to be held in Carndonagh; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12866/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra440. Deputy Charlie McConalogue asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the Courts Service plans to temporarily close the courthouse in Carndonagh, County Donegal; if the Courts Service plans to reopen the courthouse; the timeframe involved in reopening the courthouse; if court sittings will continue to take place in Carndonagh using local available community facilities while the courthouse is closed; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12868/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 424 and 440 together.
As the Deputy will be aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts, including the provision of accommodation for court sittings, is the responsibility of the Courts Service which is independent in exercising its functions.
However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has informed me that following professional inspections by the OPW and on their recommendations immediate health and safety issues were highlighted in relation to Carndonagh Courthouse. Therefore court hearings could not continue at the courthouse in the short term.
The Courts Service has advised that a review is currently being carried out and that, in the short term, the Court is currently sitting in Buncrana Courthouse.
425. Deputy Thomas P. Broughan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of drivers disqualified in court in 2016, 2017 and 2018 that appealed the disqualification; the outcome of the appeals; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13461/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, under the provisions of the Courts Service Act 1998, management of the courts is the responsibility of the Courts Service, which is independent in exercising its functions, which include the provision of information on the courts system.
However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has provided the information below.
It should be noted that on appeal a person may have had different outcomes in relation to different offences and in such cases will appear more than once on the report against different appeal outcomes. For example where an appeal against one offence is allowed and a conviction in relation to another one of their offences affirmed, they will therefore appear twice on the report.
Jan – Dec 2016
|
Persons Disqualified in the District Court who Appealed their conviction |
Appeal offences Findings |
Persons Disqualified after Appeal |
|
248 |
Affirmed |
248 |
|
587 |
Appeal Allowed |
0 |
|
142 |
Strike out no Appearance - Affirm Order of the District Court |
142 |
|
163 |
Strike out Appeal Withdrawn - Affirm Order of the District Court |
163 |
|
873 |
Appeal Varied |
454 |
|
46 |
Appeals Pending |
0 |
Jan - Dec 2017
|
Persons Disqualified in the District Court who Appealed their conviction |
Appeal offences Findings |
Persons Disqualified after Appeal |
|
275 |
Affirmed |
275 |
|
641 |
Appeal Allowed |
0 |
|
133 |
Strike out no Appearance - Affirm Order of the District Court |
133 |
|
190 |
Strike out Appeal Withdrawn - Affirm Order of the District Court |
190 |
|
1,098 |
Appeal Varied |
512 |
|
181 |
Appeals Pending |
0 |
Jan - Dec 2018
|
Persons Disqualified in the District Court who Appealed their conviction |
Appeal offences Findings |
Persons Disqualified after Appeal |
|
179 |
Affirmed |
179 |
|
531 |
Appeal Allowed |
0 |
|
123 |
Strike out no Appearance - Affirm Order of the District Court |
123 |
|
188 |
Strike out Appeal Withdrawn - Affirm Order of the District Court |
188 |
|
811 |
Appeal Varied |
353 |
|
998 |
Appeals Pending |
0 |
426. Deputy Catherine Martin asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if the two extra weeks paid leave for parents of a child in the child's first year announced in budget 2019 will be implemented in November 2019; if so, if it will be backdated; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [13927/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that as part of Budget 2019, the Government announced the introduction of a new social insurance based paid parental benefit scheme. This new scheme will support parents during the first year of the child's life by providing two weeks of paid leave to both parents, and will allow parents more flexibility in achieving and managing a work life balance.
It is envisaged that the scheme will commence in late 2019 and will be available to parents in respect all children born on or after the date of its implementation.
The conditions of eligibility for the scheme will be provided for in legislation which is currently being developed by my Department, in cooperation with the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection.
I can advise the Deputy that work is well advanced on the General Scheme of legislative proposals to implement the new scheme, and these proposals will be brought to Government for approval shortly.
427. Deputy Seán Haughey asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when sections 95 and 99 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 will be commenced; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14082/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraOn 12 February 2019, the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection received Government approval to publish the Civil Registration Bill 2019. The Civil Registration Bill 2019 makes technical amendments to sections in Part 9 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 that provide for registration, and re-registration, of births of donor-conceived children. This legislation is being progressed through the Oireachtas as a matter of priority. Committee Stage was taken in Dáil Éireann on 28 February 2019 and Report/Final Stage is scheduled for 27 March 2019. It is the only non-Brexit Bill to be introduced by the Government in the current legislative session.
The Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, who has policy responsibility in this area, has stated her intention that Part 9 will be commenced immediately following enactment of the Bill. I will work with my colleague, the Minister for Employment Affairs and Social Protection, to ensure that commencement is brought about as soon as possible following enactment of the Bill.
The operation of these sections in Part 9 of the Children and Family Relationships Act 2015 is dependent on commencement of Parts 2 and 3 of the 2015 Act, which includes provisions for determination of parentage on which registrations, and re-registrations, will be based. This is the responsibility of the Minister for Health, who is working to ensure that commencement of these provisions is brought about as soon as possible.
These are complex issues that require the involvement of more than just one Department. Officials from my Department, the Department of Employment Affairs and Social Protection, the Department of Health and the General Register Office are working together to ensure that the appropriate legislative, regulatory, and operational mechanisms are in place to allow for the earliest possible commencement of all of the relevant legislation that will allow for birth registrations of donor-conceived children.
428. Deputy Willie Penrose asked the Minister for Justice and Equality when the Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015, excluding Part 8, will be fully implemented and all sections enacted; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12911/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 provides a modern statutory framework to support decision-making by adults with capacity difficulties. The Act was signed into law on 30 December 2015 but has not yet been fully commenced. New administrative processes and support measures, including the setting up of the Decision Support Service within the Mental Health Commission (a body under the Department of Health), must be put in place before the substantive provisions of the Act can be commenced.
A number of provisions of the 2015 Act were commenced in October 2016 in order to progress the setting up of the Decision Support Service. The Assisted Decision-Making (Capacity) Act 2015 (Commencement of Certain Provisions) Order 2016 (S.I. No. 515 of 2016), brought Part 1 (Preliminary and General) and Part 9 (Director of the Decision Support Service) of the Act, other than sections 3, 4 and 7 in Part 1 and sections 96 and 102 and Chapter 3 in Part 9, into operation on 17 October 2016. These provisions were brought into operation in order to enable the recruitment of the Director of the Decision Support Service.
A high-level Steering Group comprised of senior officials from the Department of Justice and Equality, the Department of Health, the Mental Health Commission and the Courts Service, together with the Director of the Decision Support Service, is overseeing the establishment and commissioning of the Decision Support Service and this work is ongoing. The key preparations are being put in place under the oversight of the Steering Group to allow for further commencement orders for the provisions of the 2015 Act to be made when the Decision Support Service is ready to roll out the new decision-making support options.
The Decision Support Service is not yet operational but every effort is underway to ensure that the Decision Support Service has all necessary capacity to open for business as soon as possible. While the Decision Support Service has been working towards being operational and ready for the commencement of the main provisions of the Act in 2020, the situation is being kept under review as the preparatory work on implementation moves forward. The 2019 Revised Estimates Volume provides for an allocation of €3.5 million in the Justice and Equality Vote for the establishment of the Decision Support Service.
The commencement of Part 8 of the Act, which provides a legislative framework for advance healthcare directives, is a matter for the Minister for Health.
429. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the timeframe for decisions to be issued by the ministerial decisions unit regarding recommendations on international protection applications received from the International Protection Office. [12742/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the receipt of a recommendation letter from the International Protection Office (IPO) should not be interpreted as a decision on the person’s international protection application. The IPO makes recommendations to me, as Minister for Justice and Equality, and due diligence must be carried out by INIS on each case before the formal letter of confirmation is issued on my behalf.
The current average processing times by INIS for grants of refugee status and subsidiary protection is 30 days, once a recommendation has been received. The average can be distorted by some cases that take somewhat longer to process. The INIS has recently reviewed its procedures in this area to ensure that decisions are made at the earliest possible point.
430. Deputy Robert Troy asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if a decision will issue regarding an application by a person (details supplied) for international protection. [12747/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that if an application for international protection has been made in the State it is not the practice, for confidentiality reasons, to comment on it. Under Section 26 of the International Protection Act 2015, it is an offence to identify an international protection applicant. The offence is punishable by summary conviction to a Class A fine or a term of imprisonment of 12 months or both. In this case, I can neither confirm nor deny that the person in question has applied for international protection.
If s/he has applied for international protection, s/he or his/her designated legal adviser or advisers may contact the International Protection Office (IPO) directly in relation to the application, either by email to info@ipo.gov.ie, by telephone to the IPO Customer Service Centre at 01 6028008 ,or in writing to Customer Service Centre, International Protection Office, 79-83 Lower Mount Street, Dublin 2.
It should be noted that receipt of a recommendation letter from the International Protection Office (IPO) should not be interpreted as a final decision on the person’s international protection application. The IPO makes recommendations to the Minister for Justice and Equality, and due diligence must be carried out by the NIS on each case before the formal letter of confirmation is issued on my behalf. The current average processing times by INIS for grants of refugee status and subsidiary protection is some 30 days. Some cases, of course, take somewhat longer to process.
If the person in question has received a negative recommendation from the IPO and has appealed it to the International Protection Appeals Tribunal (IPAT), s/he should contact the IPAT in relation to the appeal application. The IPAT operates an email service that can be contacted by individuals with any queries regarding their application - info@protectionappeals.ie.
If s/he has not yet applied for international protection, and wishes to do so, s/he is advised to make an application to the International Protection Office.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from the INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
431. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the status of the Gambling Control Bill 2018 and the establishment of the gambling commission; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12795/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that the Gambling Control Bill 2018 is a Private Member’s Bill sponsored by Deputies Jim O’Callaghan, Jack Chambers and Anne Rabbitte. I am, therefore, not in a position to comment on the status of this Bill. The Government did not oppose this Bill, which entirely replicated the General Scheme of the Gambling Control Bill approved by the Government in 2013, when it was introduced to the Dáil for Second Stage on 9 May 2018.
The Government, on 10 January, 2018, approved a review of the provisions of the 2013 General Scheme of the Gambling Control Bill and relevant developments since then. To achieve this objective, an Inter-Departmental Working Group on the Future Licensing and Regulation of Gambling, chaired by myself, comprising all stakeholder Departments, relevant Offices and the Office of the Attorney General met on six occasions between February 2018 and January 2019.
A key element of the Government Decision of 10 January 2018 was the concept of establishing a new gambling regulatory authority as an independent statutory body under the auspices of the Department of Justice and Equality.
The Government on 20 March, approved the Report of the Inter-Departmental Working Group and it has now been published on my Department's website. The Recommendations include the establishment of a new independent gambling regulatory authority.
432. Deputy Noel Rock asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if his attention has been drawn to the assaults on non-nationals in Dublin; if An Garda Síochána traces the number of assaults on non-nationals; if so, the number of such assaults in the past five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12797/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI have requested the information from the Garda authorities in relation to assaults on non-nationals and I will contact the Deputy directly when this information is to hand.
|
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019 |
|
|
0321 - Assaults causing harm |
999 |
1070 |
1269 |
1326 |
1328 |
1589 |
311 |
|
Non-Irish National IP |
208 |
228 |
251 |
304 |
294 |
380 |
66 |
|
Blank/Unknown/Other |
26 |
21 |
29 |
29 |
40 |
36 |
8 |
|
0324 - Minor assault |
2738 |
3008 |
3444 |
3669 |
3997 |
4284 |
869 |
|
Non-Irish National IP |
494 |
599 |
721 |
831 |
946 |
1065 |
207 |
|
Blank/Unknown/Other |
159 |
163 |
158 |
212 |
213 |
198 |
42 |
433. Deputy Róisín Shortall asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the steps he is taking to address and raise awareness around the issue of modern day slavery (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12826/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraIreland is fully committed to addressing the challenges of modern slavery, known as human trafficking under Irish and EU legislation and the principal international conventions. Co-ordination of national efforts in this area is the responsibility of my Department.
Ireland has ratified the principal international Human Trafficking treaties:
- The Palermo Protocol (2000) to the UN Convention against Organised Crime
- The Council of Europe Convention on Action against Trafficking in Human Beings (2005)
In the EU and Ireland, the following legislation is relevant:
- EU Anti Trafficking Directive (2011/36/EU)
- Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) Act 2008 and Criminal Law (Human Trafficking) (Amendment) Act 2013
On 4 February this year, Ireland ratified the ILO Forced Labour Protocol, which reinforces the international legal framework for combatting all forms of forced labour, including trafficking in persons. This initiative, by my colleague the Minister for Business Enterprise and Innovation, puts Ireland among the group known as “50 for Freedom”, which stems from an ILO initiative to encourage member countries to ratify the Protocol by the end of 2019.
An Garda Síochána has committed significant resources to the investigation and prosecution of human trafficking. A specialised Garda Unit, the Human Trafficking Investigation and Co-ordination Unit (HTICU), has been established to coordinate delivery of national strategy. On 6 March, I met with the Garda Commissioner to discuss this despicable crime and I welcome his and his officers' commitment to this task.
A number of State bodies provide care and practical support to victims, including the HSE, the Reception and Integration Agency, the Legal Aid Board, the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service and Tusla. The International Organisation for Migration provides assistance in relation to returning victims to their country of origin. Once a person has been identified as a victim, they are brought into the National Referral Mechanism to receive State supports. Victims receive medical care; accommodation; legal advice; help with their immigration status; and help to travel home.
My Department also provides funding to several Non-Governmental Organisations for their work to provide support to victims of trafficking. I am also funding several research and awareness raising programmes in this field.
A training programme is ongoing for Garda members and my Department and An Garda Síochána have an ongoing programme of awareness raising and training to a variety of targeted groups who may come into contact with victims, including frontline Government bodies such as the Department of Social Protection, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, and the Border Management Unit of my Department.
Awareness-raising presentations are provided to schools, third-level institutions and support agencies.
Each year in October, Ireland marks EU Anti Human Trafficking Day with an awareness raising programme. In 2018, my Department hosted a screening of an award winning documentary, “The Price of Sex” alongside a talk from a survivor of sex trafficking. My officials have also worked with RTÉ to provide accurate information for use in documentaries and dramas.
Information on trafficking in Ireland is publicly available on the “Blue Blindfold” website, www.blueblindfold.gov.ie, which is maintained by my Department. Information leaflets and branded merchandise are available for distribution at awareness raising events.
434. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the planned deployment at divisional level for gardaí that graduated on 8 March 2019 from Templemore; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12828/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs the Deputy is aware, the manner in which the resources of the Garda Síochána are deployed is solely a matter for the Garda Commissioner and his management team and I, as Minister, have no direct role in this regard.
In relation to the allocation of newly attested Gardaí, it is important to keep in mind that they have a further 16 months of practical and class-room based training to complete in order to receive their BA in Applied Policing. To ensure that they are properly supported and supervised and have opportunities to gain the breadth of policing experience required, the Commissioner's policy is to allocate them to specially designated training stations which have the required training and development structures and resources in place, including trained Garda tutors and access to a permanently appointed supervisory Sergeant who is thoroughly familiar with their responsibilities under the training programme. While not all Garda Stations are training stations, it is important to note that the allocation of probationer Gardaí to a Divisional training station facilitates the reassignment of Gardaí to other stations within the Division, if required, by the Divisional Officer.
Since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, almost 2,600 Garda recruits have been assigned to mainstream duties nationwide including some 207 who attested on 8 March, the first attestation of this year.
I am informed by the Commissioner that the Cohort model of resource allocation is currently utilised for the general allocation of personnel within An Garda Síochána, including newly attested probationer Gardaí from the Garda College. The allocation and transfer of Garda Personnel using the Cohort Model is determined by a number of factors, including crime and non-crime workload, minimum establishment, population, area, policing arrangements, operational strategies and transfers applications, including welfare issues. When allocations are taking place, comprehensive consultation is carried out with Local Management during which all factors are taken into consideration. Where a deficiency in resources is identified the matter is considered fully and addressed accordingly.
The Government remains committed to the recruitment of additional Gardaí and accordingly has increased the budget for An Garda Síochána to €1.76 billion for 2019, which includes provision for the recruitment of up to 800 Gardaí this year. The Commissioner has now informed me that he plans to recruit a total of 600 trainee Gardaí in 2019 and 600 Garda Civilian Staff. This Garda Staff recruitment will allow the Commissioner to redeploy a further 500 fully trained Gardaí from administrative duties to frontline policing in 2019.
I believe that the injection of this large number of experienced officers into the field, along with the new recruits, will be really beneficial in terms of protecting communities. This and on-going recruitment will clearly provide the Commissioner with the resources needed to deploy increasing numbers of Gardaí to deliver a visible effective and responsive policing service to communities across all Garda Divisions.
The information requested by the Deputy, as provided by the Garda Commissioner, is available on my Department’s website through the following link:
Allocation of Probationer Gardai
For additional and more general information on Garda Facts and Figures please see the following link:
http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/An_Garda_Siochana_facts_and_figures.
435. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of community Garda in each division; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12829/19]
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.
Community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána as it recognises that every community, either urban or rural, has its own concerns and expectations. 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 of 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.
The information requested by the Deputy in relation to the Community Garda Strength in each Garda Division, is as set out in the attached table.
Garda Strength Presented - Community Gardaí - Total
|
Division |
Community Gardaí |
Total |
|
D.M.R. East |
29 |
375 |
|
D.M.R. North |
50 |
714 |
|
D.M.R. North Central |
84 |
670 |
|
D.M.R. South |
44 |
550 |
|
D.M.R. South Central |
28 |
644 |
|
D.M.R. West |
64 |
707 |
|
Kildare |
4 |
385 |
|
Laois/Offaly |
7 |
372 |
|
Meath |
8 |
320 |
|
Westmeath |
10 |
274 |
|
Wicklow |
13 |
315 |
|
Cavan/Monaghan |
0 |
356 |
|
Donegal |
4 |
409 |
|
Louth |
10 |
340 |
|
Sligo/Leitrim |
7 |
301 |
|
Kilkenny/Carlow |
112 |
341 |
|
Tipperary |
79 |
388 |
|
Waterford |
35 |
331 |
|
Wexford |
11 |
322 |
|
Cork City |
24 |
703 |
|
Cork North |
7 |
337 |
|
Cork West |
4 |
304 |
|
Kerry |
9 |
340 |
|
Limerick |
32 |
590 |
|
Clare |
8 |
318 |
|
Galway |
12 |
606 |
|
Mayo |
1 |
341 |
|
Roscommon/Longford |
11 |
317 |
*As of 31 January 2019
Total: means all those Gardaí at a station all of whom have community policing as an inherent part of their role.
Community Gardaí: are those with the official categorisation and are exclusively assigned to building relationships with local communities including giving talks to schools, community groups and others.
For more general information on Garda Facts and Figures please see the following link:
http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/An_Garda_Siochana_facts_and_figures.
436. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the funding allocated to the traffic corps in 2018 in each Garda district; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12830/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that there has been an unprecedented level of investment in Garda resources across the State in recent years, in support of the Government’s commitment to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and deter crime.
An allocation of €1.76 billion has been provided by Government to An Garda Síochána for 2019. Very significant capital investment is also being made, including investment of €342 million in Garda ICT infrastructure between 2016 and 2021; and investment of €46 million in the Garda Fleet over the same period.
As the Deputy will appreciate, in accordance with Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 as amended, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for managing and controlling the administration and business of An Garda Síochána. Further, the allocation of Garda resources is a matter for the Commissioner, in light of identified operational demands. I understand that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities, to ensure their optimum use.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the Dublin Metropolitan Region has a separate Division for Roads Policing, with attributed costs for 2018 of €9.8 million.
However I am informed that outside of the DMR, it is not currently possible to isolate the cost of Roads Policing from other policing duties and costs.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that this is the case because annual budgets are devolved to each region in An Garda Síochána, which, in turn, allocate a budget to Divisions under their remit in accordance with operational priorities. Each Division is then responsible for the allocation of its budget amongst its Districts. As District expenditure is not currently accounted for on an activity basis, it is not possible to isolate the cost of roads policing from other policing duties and costs. The Garda authorities also point out that members who are not attached to the Roads Policing may be assigned to traffic duties, depending on operational need.
The Deputy will however wish to be aware that An Garda Síochána is currently implementing a Roster and Duty Management System (RDMS) which will in future facilitate the costing of various duties, including Roads Policing. The RDMS is currently being piloted in the DMR East Division and wider roll-out to all Divisions is intended in the future.
437. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of additional marked and unmarked Garda cars and vehicles allocated to each Garda division in 2018 and to date in 2019; the number that were withdrawn during the same period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12831/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Deputy will be aware that there has been an unprecedented level of investment in Garda resources across the State in recent years.
A total of €46 million has been provided by the Government for investment in the Garda fleet between 2016 and 2021, in addition to the investment of almost €30 million in the period 2013 to 2015. This continuing investment is intended to ensure that An Garda Síochána has a modern, effective and fit-for-purpose fleet and that Gardaí can be mobile, visible and responsive on the roads and in the community to prevent and tackle crime. A capital allocation of €10 million is available to An Garda Síochána for the purchase of Garda vehicles in 2019.
As the Deputy will appreciate, in accordance with Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 as amended, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for managing and controlling the administration and business of An Garda Síochána. Further, the allocation of Garda resources is a matter for the Commissioner, in light of his identified operational demands. This includes responsibility for the allocation of Garda vehicles among the various Garda divisions. As Minister, I have no direct role in that matter. I understand however that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review in the context of crime trends and policing priorities so as to ensure their optimum use.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the attached table sets out the number of vehicles allocated to the Garda Divisions (excluding National Units) in 2018 and in 2019 (up to 13 March 2019). Regarding allocations in 2019, I an informed that with the benefit of the €10 million allocated for the fleet this year, further orders have been placed that it is expected that the allocation of these additional vehicles will begin in April, following delivery and fit-out. I am further informed that the number of vehicles withdrawn from the Divisions during the same period are also included in the table, as requested by the Deputy. For security and operational reasons, these tables do not include a breakdown between marked and unmarked vehicle allocations nationwide. As national units do not fall into Garda Divisions, fleet statistics pertaining to them are not included in the attached tables.
*Note: figures in each of following tables relate to Divisions excluding National Units
Allocations to Garda Divisions to date in 2019 – 13th March, 2019
|
Division |
Cars |
Vans |
Others |
Total Vehicles Allocated |
|
- |
Total |
Total |
Total |
|
|
DMR NORTH CENTRAL |
1 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
|
DMR TRAFFIC |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
HARCOURT SQUARE |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
|
WESTMEATH |
3 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
|
SLIGO-LEITRIM |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
CORK CITY |
2 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
|
CORK WEST |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
GALWAY |
2 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
Removals from Garda Fleet by Division to date in 2019 - 13th March 2019
|
Division |
Cars |
Vans |
Motorcycles |
4x4 |
Others |
Total of vehicles removed |
|
Total |
Total |
Total |
Total |
Total |
||
|
CORK CITY |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
CORK NORTH |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
3 |
|
CORK WEST |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
DMR EAST |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
DMR NORTH |
4 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
|
DMR NORTH CENTRAL |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
|
DMR SOUTH CENTRAL |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
DMR WEST |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
|
DONEGAL |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
GALWAY |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
|
KERRY |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
LIMERICK |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
LOUTH |
0 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
MAYO |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
MEATH |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
TIPPERARY |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
WATERFORD |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
WESTMEATH |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
|
WEXFORD |
1 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
WICKLOW |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2018 Allocations to Garda Fleet by Division
|
- |
Cars |
Vans |
Motorcycles |
4x4 |
Others |
Total of vehicles allocated |
|
Division |
Total |
Total |
Total |
Total |
Total |
|
|
CAVAN-MONAGHAN |
4 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
9 |
|
CLARE |
3 |
2 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
8 |
|
CORK CITY |
5 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
|
CORK NORTH |
4 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
|
CORK WEST |
2 |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
|
DMR EAST |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
|
DMR HARCOURT SQUARE |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
|
DMR NORTH |
4 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
7 |
|
DMR NORTH CENTRAL |
2 |
3 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
8 |
|
DMR SOUTH |
2 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
|
DMR SOUTH CENTRAL |
4 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
|
DMR TRAFFIC |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
|
DMR WEST |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
6 |
|
DONEGAL |
5 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
10 |
|
GALWAY |
7 |
6 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
15 |
|
KERRY |
3 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
8 |
|
KILDARE |
4 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
|
KILKENNY/CARLOW |
5 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
|
LAOIS-OFFALY |
1 |
4 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
|
LIMERICK |
8 |
4 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
14 |
|
LOUTH |
4 |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
7 |
|
MAYO |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
|
MEATH |
4 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
6 |
|
ROSCOMMON-LONGFORD |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
|
SLIGO-LEITRIM |
2 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
5 |
|
TIPPERARY |
2 |
4 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
8 |
|
WATERFORD |
3 |
1 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
6 |
|
WESTMEATH |
4 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
9 |
|
WEXFORD |
2 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
0 |
6 |
|
WICKLOW |
2 |
2 |
0 |
2 |
1 |
7 |
2018 Removals from Garda Fleet by Division
|
- |
Cars |
Vans |
Motorcycles |
4x4 |
Others |
Total of vehicles removed |
|
Division |
Total |
Total |
Total |
Total |
Total |
|
|
CAVAN-MONAGHAN |
9 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
12 |
|
CLARE |
4 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
|
CORK CITY |
11 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
14 |
|
CORK NORTH |
4 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
6 |
|
CORK WEST |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
DMR EAST |
4 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
|
DMR HARCOURT SQUARE |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
DMR NORTH |
12 |
5 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
17 |
|
DMR NORTH CENTRAL |
9 |
1 |
2 |
2 |
0 |
14 |
|
DMR SOUTH |
11 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
12 |
|
DMR SOUTH CENTRAL |
5 |
3 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
9 |
|
DMR TRAFFIC |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
|
DMR WEST |
24 |
6 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
31 |
|
DONEGAL |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
|
GALWAY |
6 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
|
KERRY |
3 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
|
KILDARE |
4 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
7 |
|
KILKENNY/CARLOW |
5 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
6 |
|
LAOIS-OFFALY |
7 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
9 |
|
LIMERICK |
10 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
11 |
|
LOUTH |
13 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
14 |
|
MAYO |
7 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
|
MEATH |
4 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
7 |
|
ROSCOMMON-LONGFORD |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
|
SLIGO-LEITRIM |
3 |
2 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
5 |
|
TIPPERARY |
2 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
1 |
4 |
|
WATERFORD |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
|
WESTMEATH |
5 |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
8 |
|
WEXFORD |
3 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
3 |
|
WICKLOW |
3 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
0 |
4 |
438. Deputy Bernard J. Durkan asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the progress to date in determination of an appeal for a long-stay visa in the case of a person (details supplied); when the appeal will be concluded; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [12855/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the visa application referred to has been approved on appeal. Both the applicant and the sponsor have been informed of the decision.
Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to the INIS of my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility which has been specifically established for this purpose. This service enables up to date information on such cases to be obtained without the need to seek information by way of the Parliamentary Questions process. The Deputy may consider using the e-mail service except in cases where the response from INIS is, in the Deputy’s view, inadequate or too long awaited.
In addition, applicants may themselves e-mail queries directly to INIS (visamail@justice.ie).
439. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of applications received from foreign students pursuant to the Luximon judgment; and the number that have been processed to date. [12867/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI am advised by the Irish Naturalisation and Immigration Service (INIS) of my Department that the primary consideration is to process applications affected by the Luximon and Balchand judgments of the Supreme Court in compliance with legal requirements.
The Deputy may be aware that following those judgments, I launched a new scheme on 15 October 2018 which allows certain non-EEA nationals, who came to Ireland to study between January 2005 and December 2010, to apply for permission to remain in the State.
The Scheme closed to new applications on 20 January, 2019 and INIS received approximately 3,100 applications comprising former students and their family members. To date, INIS has made a decision in respect of 705 cases.
I am further informed that INIS has taken a number of measures to address the cohort of complex cases associated with the judgments including the assignment of additional staff resources and the sanction of overtime. I am also advised that the resources available for processing these applications, and the accompanying operational and organisational structures, are kept under ongoing review to ensure they are deployed as efficiently as possible.
441. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of members of the Garda Reserve in the Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central by division, district and subdistrict, for each of the years 2009 to 2018 and to date in 2019, in tabular form. [12878/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra442. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of member training hours per annum allocated to core gardaí attached to the Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date on 2019, in tabular form. [12879/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra444. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí attached to specialist units in the Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central. [12881/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra445. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of dedicated community gardaí attached to the Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central and each district within same. [12882/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra446. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank attached to the serious crime review team in the Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019, in tabular form. [12883/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra447. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank attached to the operational support services in the Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019, in tabular form. [12884/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra448. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank attached to the special tactics and operational command unit in the Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019, in tabular form. [12885/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra449. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank attached to the technical bureau in the Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019, in tabular form. [12886/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra450. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank attached to the immigration unit in the Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019, in tabular form. [12887/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra451. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank attached to the Criminal Assets Bureau in the Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019, in tabular form. [12888/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra452. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank attached to the Garda National Economic Crime Bureau in the Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019, in tabular form. [12889/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra453. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank attached to the Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation in the Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019, in tabular form. [12890/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra454. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank attached to the Garda national drugs and organised crime bureau in the Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019, in tabular form. [12891/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra455. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank attached to the Garda national cyber crime bureau in the Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019, in tabular form. [12892/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra456. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí by rank attached to the Garda national protective services bureau in the Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019, in tabular form. [12893/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra458. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of core unit gardaí attached to Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central respectively, in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019, by division, district and subdistrict in tabular form. [12920/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra459. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí attached to the Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central respectively in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019, by rank, division, district and subdistrict in tabular form. [12921/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra461. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the full complement of gardaí in Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019, by district and subdistrict. [12924/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra463. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of JLOs attached to the Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019, by division, district and subdistrict in tabular form. [12926/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra465. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí attached to the regional support unit by rank in Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central, respectively in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019, in tabular form. [12928/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra466. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí attached to the emergency response unit by rank in Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central, respectively in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019, in tabular form. [12929/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra467. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí attached to the special detective unit by rank in Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central, respectively in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019, in tabular form. [12930/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra468. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí attached to the operational support unit by rank in Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central, respectively in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019, in tabular form. [12931/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra469. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí attached to the traffic corps unit by rank in Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central, respectively in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019, in tabular form. [12932/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra470. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí attached to the public order unit by rank in Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central, respectively in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019, in tabular form. [12933/19]
Amharc ar fhreagra471. Deputy Mary Lou McDonald asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí attached to the community relations unit by rank in Dublin metropolitan region north and Dublin metropolitan region north central, respectively in each of the years 2009 to 2018, inclusive, and to date in 2019, in tabular form. [12934/19]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 441, 442, 444 to 456, inclusive, 458, 459, 461, 463 and 465 to 471, inclusive, 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.
With regard to numbers of Gardaí attached to divisions and stations or in particular roles or units much of the data requested is on my Department’s website and is updated every month with the latest data provided by An Garda Síochána.
For general information on Garda Facts and Figures below is the link to the website:
http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/An_Garda_Siochana_facts_and_figures
More specific data for the Dublin Metropolitan Region North and North Central are available via the following links:
Overall Garda Workforce Strength 2006 to January 2019
Garda Numbers by Division District and Station 2009 to 31 January 2019
Garda Numbers by Division 2006 to 31 January 2019
Roads Policing Unit 2009 to 31 January 2019
Community Garda Strength 2008 to 31 January 2019
Garda Reserve Strength 2009 to 31 January 2019
Civilian Staff by Division and Station 2010 to 31 January 2019
Allocation of Probationer Gardaí by Division and Station 2014 to January 2019
My officials are currently in the process of developing the website to provide additional information and data about other roles and units and I would encourage the deputy and colleagues to avail of this resource.
I would like to take this opportunity to reiterate a number of points regarding An Garda Síochána which I believe are important to emphasise.
- Community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána as it recognises that every community, either urban or rural, has its own concerns and expectations. 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 of 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.
- 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 Garda National Economic Crime Bureau and the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau. These national specialist units which form Garda Special Crime Operations are national units which support the work of the 28 Garda Divisions across the Country and are consequently not broken down by Division. Other examples of these include: the Special Detective Unit (SDU) which is responsible for the investigation of threats to state security and the monitoring of persons who pose a threat to the security of the State on both national and international fronts. The Unit also provides security for visiting VIPs, cash in transit movements and armed response and is the operational wing of the Witness Security Programme. The highly trained and equipped specialist intervention unit, the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) is also part of SDU. As the Deputy will appreciate, for security and operational reasons the strength of the SDU, ERU, Regional Support Units and the Special Tactics and Operational Command (STOC) Unit cannot be provided.
- 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 with an increased risk of a public order incident occurring, such as, 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.
- Garda Juvenile Liaison Officers (JLOs) are specially trained to fulfil a key role in implementing the Garda Diversion Programme. Their role includes the administration of formal and informal cautions as well as appropriate supervision of children who have been admitted to the Diversion Programme, as provided in Part 4 of the Children Act 2001.
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.
Since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, almost 2,600 Garda recruits have been assigned to mainstream duties nationwide, including 200 trainees who passed out from the college on 8th March.
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. The Government has increased the budget for An Garda Síochána to €1.76 billion for 2019, which includes provision for the recruitment of up to 800 Gardaí this year. The Commissioner has now informed me that he plans to recruit a total of 600 trainee Gardaí in 2019 and 600 Garda Civilian Staff. This Garda Staff recruitment will allow the Commissioner to redeploy a further 500 fully trained Gardaí from administrative duties to frontline policing in 2019.
I believe that the injection of this large number of experienced officers into the field, along with the new recruits, will be really beneficial in terms of protecting communities. This and on-going recruitment will clearly provide the Commissioner with the resources needed to deploy increasing numbers of Gardaí to deliver a visible effective and responsive policing service to communities across all Garda Divisions
For the Deputy's information I have set out in the tables attached additional data in relation to the current strength of Garda national units, and in relation to numbers of community Gardaí and juvenile liaison officers in the areas in question, which is currently not available on our website.
Strength of Garda Special Crime Operations 31 January 2019
|
CR |
DC |
AC |
CS |
SU |
IN |
SG |
GD |
TOTAL |
|
|
Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
4 |
4 |
16 |
87 |
111 |
|
Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
5 |
21 |
28 |
|
Garda National Economic Crime Bureau (formerly Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation) |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
11 |
47 |
63 |
|
Garda National Bureau of Criminal Investigation |
0 |
0 |
0 |
2 |
2 |
3 |
15 |
55 |
77 |
|
Garda National Protective Services Bureau |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
16 |
41 |
64 |
|
Garda National Technical Bureau |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
2 |
16 |
46 |
65 |
|
Criminal Assets Bureau |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
2 |
6 |
35 |
45 |
*As of 31 January 2019
Garda National Immigration Bureau 2009 - 2019*
|
Year |
Garda |
Sergeant |
Inspector |
SU |
CS |
Total |
|
2009 |
164 |
22 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
194 |
|
2010 |
154 |
19 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
181 |
|
2011 |
149 |
17 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
174 |
|
2012 |
134 |
15 |
5 |
2 |
1 |
157 |
|
2013 |
126 |
15 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
146 |
|
2014 |
120 |
12 |
3 |
1 |
1 |
137 |
|
2015 |
105 |
9 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
119 |
|
2016 |
99 |
9 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
115 |
|
2017 |
102 |
15 |
2 |
2 |
1 |
122 |
|
2018 |
96 |
12 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
115 |
|
2019 |
94 |
12 |
4 |
2 |
1 |
113 |
*As of 31 January 2019
Juvenile Liaison Officers Divisions 2009 - 2019*
|
Division |
2009 |
2010 |
2011 |
2012 |
2013 |
2014 |
2015 |
2016 |
2017 |
2018 |
2019* |
|
DMR North |
12 |
11 |
11 |
11 |
12 |
13 |
13 |
13 |
12 |
12 |
12 |
|
DMR North Central |
4 |
3 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
4 |
3 |
4 |
5 |
5 |
*As of 31 January 2019
Garda Strength Presented - Community Gardaí - Total
DMR North Division 31 January 2019
|
Year |
Community Gardaí |
Total |
|
2009 |
71 |
832 |
|
2010 |
76 |
803 |
|
2011 |
76 |
779 |
|
2012 |
86 |
744 |
|
2013 |
68 |
714 |
|
2014 |
57 |
681 |
|
2015 |
58 |
668 |
|
2016 |
53 |
676 |
|
2017 |
47 |
670 |
|
2018 |
51 |
715 |
|
2019* |
50 |
714 |
Garda Strength Presented - Community Gardaí - Total
DMR North Central Division 31 January 2019
|
Year |
Community Gardaí |
Total |
|
2009 |
178 |
719 |
|
2010 |
159 |
693 |
|
2011 |
140 |
660 |
|
2012 |
143 |
654 |
|
2013 |
152 |
624 |
|
2014 |
139 |
607 |
|
2015 |
121 |
590 |
|
2016 |
110 |
612 |
|
2017 |
90 |
611 |
|
2018 |
83 |
655 |
|
2019* |
84 |
670 |
Garda Bureau of Community Engagement 31 January 2019
|
Rank |
CR |
DC |
AC |
CS |
SU |
IN |
SG |
GD |
Total |
|
Total |
0 |
0 |
0 |
1 |
3 |
3 |
16 |
3 |
26 |
*As of 31 January 2019
Garda National Operational Support Services 2009-2019*
|
YEAR |
GD |
SG |
IN |
SU |
DC |
TOTAL |
|
2009 |
57 |
7 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
66 |
|
2010 |
55 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
63 |
|
2011 |
53 |
10 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
64 |
|
2012 |
53 |
8 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
63 |
|
2013 |
53 |
7 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
62 |
|
2014 |
49 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
57 |
|
2015 |
47 |
6 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
56 |
|
2016 |
48 |
8 |
1 |
0 |
0 |
57 |
|
2017 |
62 |
10 |
3 |
1 |
0 |
76 |
|
2018 |
63 |
9 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
74 |
|
2019 |
63 |
9 |
1 |
1 |
0 |
74 |
*Up to 31 January 2019
