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Wednesday, 31 Mar 2021

Written Answers Nos. 791-808

Personal Injury Claims

Ceisteanna (791, 792)

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

791. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of personal injury claims that have been taken by prison staff against the Irish Prison Service for injuries sustained in prisons in each of the years 2014 to 2020 and to date in 2021; the breakdown of the claims finalised; the injury sustained in each case; the amount paid in legal costs; and the estimated claim costs for claims yet to be finalised in tabular form. [16462/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Catherine Murphy

Ceist:

792. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of personal injury claims that have been taken by prisoners against the Irish Prison Service for injuries sustained in prison in each of the years 2014 to 2020 and to date in 2021; the injury sustained in each case; the amount paid in legal costs; and the estimated claim costs for claims yet to be finalised in tabular form. [16463/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 791 and 792 together.

It has not been possible to obtain the information requested by the Deputy in the time permitted. The information has been sought and I will send it to the Deputy directly when it has been compiled.

Judicial Appointments

Ceisteanna (793)

Alan Kelly

Ceist:

793. Deputy Alan Kelly asked the Minister for Justice if her office has received a request from the President of the High Court for provision to be made for the appointment of additional judges to the High Court; if so, when she plans to take action on foot of this request; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16478/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I can confirm that the President of the High Court has requested the appointment of a number of additional judges to the High Court. This would require enactment of new legislation to increase the cap on judicial numbers, and is currently under consideration in consultation with the Department of Public Expenditure and Reform.

In considering increasing the number of additional judges a number of factors are taken into account including the demands across the various courts, the impact on the overall justice system, the current workload and work methods, and the costs arising, including the ancillary staff that each additional judge requires.

Meanwhile, any judicial vacancies that arise in the courts continue to be filled in a timely manner. There are currently no vacancies in the High Court.

A working group is currently being established, in line with an action of my Justice Plan 2021, to progress a Programme for Government commitment to consider the number and type of judges required over the next few years. The necessary preparatory work is well under way, including sourcing an appropriate research project to provide the necessary evidence base for deliberations. This work is expected to be finalised shortly, and I will bring proposals to Government in April. The research and planning work will be an important opportunity for the judiciary and other stakeholders to inform and contribute to the development of an evidence base for ensuring that the right number of judges, with the right skills can be deployed in the right manner in future, to benefit all citizens seeking timely access to justice.

Crime Data

Ceisteanna (794)

Sorca Clarke

Ceist:

794. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons arrested for dangerous driving in each of the years 2019, 2020 and to date in 2021, in tabular form. [16520/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

To assist the Deputy, I have been informed by the Garda authorities that the table below sets out the number of recorded incidents of dangerous driving recorded on PULSE for each of the years 2019, 2020 and up to and including 25 March 2021.

As with all Roads Policing offence data, the reduced number of incidents reported in 2020 and to date in 2021 need to be interpreted in light of reduced traffic volumes resulting from travel restrictions imposed during the COVID-19 public health measures.

2019

2020

2021

Total

5,475

4,703

722

10,900

Note: Figures are based on primary incidents which were reported from 01/01/2019 to 25/03/2021, inclusive. All information contained in this report is based upon operational data from the PULSE system as was available on 26 March 2021 and is provisional, operational and subject to change.

Garda Youth Diversion Projects

Ceisteanna (795)

Sorca Clarke

Ceist:

795. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the estimated cost of establishing 15 new Garda youth diversion projects; and the estimated full year cost of running these projects. [16521/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Youth Diversion Programme is supported by a network of 105 Garda Youth Diversion Projects (GYDPs) supporting up to 4,000 young people and their families. The projects are community-based, multi-agency crime prevention initiatives which seek to divert young people who have become involved in crime or anti-social behaviour and to support wider preventative work within the community and with families at risk.

I understand that considerable progress has been made in the last number of years to extend the Garda Youth Diversion Project network to ensure that the service is available throughout the State. This work is ongoing and, to date, has been achieved by extending the catchment areas of existing projects and by allocating additional staff.

Currently there are a very small number of areas where this approach would not be suitable and these are instead being considered for the establishment of new projects. I am informed that the number of areas in the State in which the evidence warrants the establishment of a new project, rather than the strengthening or extension of a catchment area, is less than 15.

Catchment areas for projects are determined in consultation with local community groups, members of An Garda Síochána and other stakeholders on a case-by-case basis. As the GYDPs have evolved organically since their inception, catchment areas can vary depending on the project’s background and local needs.

It may also be noted that, in recent years, the GYDP model has been developed and extended, with a renewed emphasis on family support and early intervention/preventative work, as well as on working with harder-to-engage young people, including those not suitable for the Garda Diversion Programme. Where any new projects are being established, the minimum core of the project will now include 2 youth justice workers, a family support worker, an early intervention support worker and an outreach worker to engage with harder-to-reach young people.

The estimated cost in a full year for a new project with all the additional elements under this draft revised model will depend on local circumstances. For comparison, funding of existing projects is some €125,000 on average.

The Minister for Justice will shortly publish the new Youth Justice Strategy 2021-2027 which will see a considerable strengthening of the role GYDPs and our other community-based youth justice interventions.

Crime Data

Ceisteanna (796)

Peadar Tóibín

Ceist:

796. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice the number of reports and convictions for sexual assault or rape there have been in each year since 2015; and the average, longest and shortest sentences given. [16557/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Central Statistics Office (CSO), as the national statistics agency, is responsible for the publication of official Recorded Crime Statistics and they publish quarterly publications which contain details on criminal incidents by crime type, including sexual offences. They also have a specific publication on Victims & Offenders which contains more detail on victims of sexual offences. Finally, their detections publications bring criminal incidents together with detections for those crimes.This landing page contains all the data the CSO publishes:https://www.cso.ie/en/statistics/crimeandjustice/

As the Deputy may be 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. This includes the provision of information on the courts system.

To be of assistance, I made enquiries with the Courts Service, who have informed me that statistics relevant to the information sought by the Deputy, insofar as they are available, are set out in the Courts Service Annual Reports which are published on the Courts Service website.

All annual reports are available on - https://www.courts.ie

Immigration Policy

Ceisteanna (797, 804, 839)

Richard Boyd Barrett

Ceist:

797. Deputy Richard Boyd Barrett asked the Minister for Justice the criteria that will apply for the end to the suspension of the visit a family and friend class C visa and the de facto partner of an Irish national visa which have been suspended since March 2020; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16562/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Cormac Devlin

Ceist:

804. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Justice when the suspension of visit a family and friend class C visa and de facto partner of an Irish national visas will be lifted under the plan to reopen the economy and society; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16808/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Ceist:

839. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the criteria under which the issuing of class C visas will resume as normal; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [17555/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I propose to take Questions Nos. 797, 804 and 839 together.

The decision to temporarily cease accepting new visa/preclearance applications, with the exception of Priority or Emergency applications, applies to all countries and has been in place since 29 January 2021. Applications which were received prior to 29 January 2021, will continue to be processed. However, unless the application meets the Emergency or Priority criteria, a visa or preclearance approval letter will not issue until such time as these restrictions have been lifted.

These measures are designed to support our current public health restrictions on movement, including into and out of Ireland. The increased travel restrictions, along with the mandatory hotel quarantine measures introduced as part of the Government’s efforts to interrupt the transmission of COVID-19, means that travel may not be possible and even if possible is not advisable unless absolutely essential.

The framework for these restrictive measures is set out in the Government’s Resilience and Recovery: Plan for Living with COVID 19. When making such decisions, the Government considers the expert public health advices of NPHET to tackle the disease.

The Immigration Service of my Department intends to resume accepting applications as soon as safety concerns abate. Information on the types of visas being processed is available by visiting our website at: http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/updates-announcements.

The situation will continue to be reviewed in consultation with the relevant authorities in the coming weeks.

Court Judgments

Ceisteanna (798)

Sorca Clarke

Ceist:

798. Deputy Sorca Clarke asked the Minister for Justice the action her Department will take to address the issue of non-engagement by under sheriffs' offices in regard to Circuit Court judgements. [16584/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

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. However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had enquiries made and the Courts Service has advised me of the following.

Sheriffs (or County Registrars acting as Sheriffs) are officers of the Court and are independent in the exercise of their functions and duties under statute and rules of court. They are responsible to the Court for the enforcement of Court Orders. The procedures governing the execution of Court Orders are set out in the Enforcement of Court Orders Acts, 1926 to 1940 and the Rules of Court made thereunder.

I am advised by the Courts Service that the work of Under Sheriffs has been curtailed by the pandemic. Restrictions on non-essential travel impacts on the ability of Under Sheriffs to operate normally, as much of the work of these offices involves site visits and meetings with clients. Such journeys would pose an increased health and safety risk to Under Sheriffs, their staff, and parties involved in court proceedings. Under Sheriffs continue to monitor work within their offices and to respond to urgent, essential matters. The Courts Service further advise that the situation is being kept under active review, in line with public health guidelines, with a view to returning to normal business as soon as it is safe to do so .

Departmental Legal Cases

Ceisteanna (799)

Mairéad Farrell

Ceist:

799. Deputy Mairéad Farrell asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to instances of litigation or the threat of litigation arising from the inclusion of social clauses in public procurement contracts in each of the years 2017 to 2020. [16597/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

I wish to advise the Deputy that my Department has not been made aware of any instances of litigation or the threat of litigation arising from the inclusion of social clauses in public procurement contracts in each of the years 2017 to 2020.

Courts Service

Ceisteanna (800)

Aengus Ó Snodaigh

Ceist:

800. Deputy Aengus Ó Snodaigh asked the Minister for Justice if her attention has been drawn to the delays in the Circuit Court for civil cases (details supplied); the measures planned in relation to same; when such measures will be put in place to deal with the substantial backlog; and when the Court will reopen for the hearing of these type of cases. [16638/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

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. Furthermore, the scheduling of individual court cases and the allocation of court business are entirely matters for the Presidents of the Courts and the presiding judges who are, under the Constitution, independent in the exercise of their judicial functions.

However, in order to be of assistance to the Deputy, I have had inquiries made and the Courts Service has advised me that they continue to work with the Judiciary to prioritise business and the holding of courts to address areas of concern. As part of this overall approach, I am informed that the President of the Circuit Court has issued a number of practice directions in relation to Circuit Court proceedings, the most recent on 12 February 2021, which can be viewed on the Courts Service website at: www.courts.ie.

The Courts have continued to sit on priority matters in the areas of family law, criminal matters, bail and urgent injunctions. Prior to the latest imposition of Level 5 restrictions, additional capacity was added by the Courts Service to the courts infrastructure to facilitate the holding of numbers of courts close to pre-Covid levels. While every effort has been made to facilitate as much court business as possible, backlogs have accrued in certain case categories.

The Judiciary and the Courts Service have worked closely and innovated through the use of technology to maintain the highest level of court activity possible, including remote courts being conducted. The Courts Service is currently rolling out videolink facilities to 43 additional courtrooms across the country this year, in addition to the investments made last year, in order to assist in addressing the current caseload and reducing backlogs.

Through staggering of court lists, positive callovers of cases on hand and the introduction of new people management procedures, the Courts began to operate at near full capacity in the Summer and Autumn of last year and good progress had been made in dealing with arrears that built up during restrictions. The Courts Service expects similar results will be possible once current restrictions ease and continues to work closely with the Judiciary to identify areas of work that require particular attention. Work is on-going to manage day to day issues and to plan for reopening, including regular engagement with key stakeholders such as the legal profession.

The Government is committed to ensuring adequate resources for the courts in order to maintain access to justice for all citizens, which was reinforced in 2020 with the highest ever budgetary allocation for the Justice sector including €158.8 million for the Courts Service. Preparation of a Justice Sector Plan for recovery, which will consider the impact of Covid in terms of backlogs, pent-up and unmet demand, and the interdependencies across the sector, is currently being prepared by my Department and its agencies, including the Court Service.

Residency Permits

Ceisteanna (801)

Jennifer Carroll MacNeill

Ceist:

801. Deputy Jennifer Carroll MacNeill asked the Minister for Justice the status of an application for permanent residency by a person (details supplied); and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16678/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The person referred to by the Deputy is the subject of a Deportation Order made on 27 May 2019. However, they have made a request, under section 3(11) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), to have that Order revoked and this will be considered as soon as possible. The decision will be that the existing Deportation Order will be either ‘affirmed’ or ‘revoked’.

As a person subject to a Deportation Order, they are legally obliged to comply with any reporting obligations placed on them by the Garda National Immigration Bureau.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility (inisoireachtasmail@justice.ie) 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 is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.

Immigration Data

Ceisteanna (802)

Mick Barry

Ceist:

802. Deputy Mick Barry asked the Minister for Justice the number of persons who were naturalised in 2020; the number awaiting a ceremony; the steps being taken to ensure there is no further undue delay; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16695/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The person referred to by the Deputy is the subject of a Deportation Order made on 27 May 2019. However, they have made a request, under section 3(11) of the Immigration Act 1999 (as amended), to have that Order revoked and this will be considered as soon as possible. The decision will be that the existing Deportation Order will be either ‘affirmed’ or ‘revoked’.

As a person subject to a Deportation Order, they are legally obliged to comply with any reporting obligations placed on them by the Garda National Immigration Bureau.

Queries in relation to the status of individual immigration cases may be made directly to my Department by e-mail using the Oireachtas Mail facility (inisoireachtasmail@justice.ie) 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 is, in the Deputy's view, inadequate or too long awaited.

Crime Data

Ceisteanna (803)

Thomas Pringle

Ceist:

803. Deputy Thomas Pringle asked the Minister for Justice the number of sexual assault and rape cases tried in each of the years 2016 to 2018; the number of convictions achieved; the number of convictions appealed on the grounds of leniency by the Director of Public Prosecutions; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16708/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As the Deputy may be 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. This includes the provision of information on the courts system.

To be of assistance, I made enquiries with the Courts Service, who have informed me that statistics relevant to information on rape trials is set out in the Courts Service Annual Reports which are published on the Courts Service website.

The following information on rape trials is taken from statistics published in the Courts Service Annual Reports of 2016, 2017 and 2018.

Year

Number of offences that went to trial

Convictions

2016

279

135

2017

536

241

2018

419

194

I am further informed that information relevant to that sought by the Deputy on sexual assault offences, insofar as they are available, are set out in the Courts Service Annual Reports which are published on the Courts Service website and are available on - https://www.courts.ie/annual-report

In addition, there have been 24 convictions in relation to sexual offences in the years 2016-2018 that were appealed on the grounds of leniency. The following is a breakdown of those appeals by year and some additional information that may be of interest to the Deputy is contained in the attached excel spreadsheet.

Year

Number of Appeals

2016

10

2017

7

2018

7

Tackling domestic, sexual and gender based violence is one of my top priorities. The Deputy, I am sure, is aware, that I recently launched Justice Plan 2021.

It commits to ‘Strengthening community safety, reduce reoffending, support victims and combat domestic sexual and gender based violence’.

It commits to placing victims at the centre of our criminal justice system and working to remove the fear that many victims have of coming forward to report what happened to them.

Justice Plan 2021 has a number of actions to advance this goal, including through the implementation of Supporting a Victims Journey. Supporting a Victims Journey is a detailed roadmap, which when implemented, will ensure we have a more victim-centred system that supports and empowers victims and gives them the confidence to engage with all services knowing they will be supported, informed and treated with respect and dignity at every point and by every person they come into contact with.

Cases 2016-2018

Question No. 804 answered with Question No. 797.

Citizenship Ceremonies

Ceisteanna (805)

Cormac Devlin

Ceist:

805. Deputy Cormac Devlin asked the Minister for Justice if each Dublin local authority is permitted to host and facilitate future citizenship ceremonies in conjunction with her Department for residents of their respective administrative area that are due to receive Irish citizenship; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16819/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

Citizenship ceremonies fulfil two purposes, firstly as a celebration of the end of the citizenship journey; and secondly to complete some necessary security checks, including spot checks of the identity documents of applicants to maintain the integrity of the naturalisation process.

These identity checks require access to individual application files and specialist software. Staff in the Citizenship Division of the Immigration Service of my Department are trained in this regard and are supported by An Garda Síochána as required. Moving to a distributed ceremonies format would require Citizenship staff having to attend at various events across the country and would likely result in a loss of productivity to the detriment of applicants.

A number of County Councils have previously requested and supported smaller ceremonies taking place within their administrative areas. Most recently, Waterford City hosted a ceremony in 2019, to mark the first flying of the tricolour in Waterford City in 1848. Further details of that ceremony can be found on our website at: http://www.inis.gov.ie/en/INIS/Pages/press-release-650-new-irish-citizens-receive-their-certificates-of-naturalisation-in-Waterford.

Citizenship processes are currently undergoing review in my Department. Any proposal to co-host citizenship ceremonies with a local authority will be considered as part of this process.

Currently, the Covid 19 pandemic has prevented the holding of in-person ceremonies, however it remains my intention that large scale ceremonies will recommence once circumstances allow. Since their establishment in 2011, citizenship ceremonies have been joyous occasions which mark the granting of Irish citizenships in a dignified manner and they have become a welcome addition to our public and civic life. In-person ceremonies have been provisionally scheduled to resume in December 2021, subject to the safety of all involved being assured.

On 18 January 2021, I was pleased to announce a temporary system that enables citizenship applicants to complete their naturalisation process by signing a statutory declaration of loyalty.

This signed statutory declaration replaces the requirement for citizenship applicants to attend citizenship ceremonies, which have been temporarily suspended during COVID-19. The Citizenship Division of my Department is communicating with applicants regarding the requirements, on a phased basis.

Under the temporary new system, up to 4,000 qualifying applicants are currently being asked to complete a statutory declaration that is sent to them by email from the Citizenship Division of the Immigration Service of my Department and bring it to one of the listed designated officials. The designated official must witness the applicant sign the statutory declaration. The applicant must then send the signed statutory declaration, the appropriate fee and any other requested documentation to Citizenship Division. Final processing will then take place and a certificate of naturalisation, will be sent to the applicant.

My Department expects to continue the current statutory declaration process beyond March and we are aiming to have communicated with an additional 2,500 applicants in the system by the end of June.

To date, 3,615 communications have issued and 1,605 declarations had been returned and 887 certificates of naturalisation have already issued and more will issue in the coming weeks once the final processing of the returned declarations is completed.

Asylum Seekers

Ceisteanna (806)

Brendan Howlin

Ceist:

806. Deputy Brendan Howlin asked the Minister for Justice if the Dublin Convention provisions between Ireland and the United Kingdom will continue to exist in view of the revised rules on asylum being introduced by the UK; the number of persons that returned to the UK from Ireland under the convention for each of the past three years; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16837/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Dublin III Regulation ((EU) No. 604/2013) sets out the criteria for determining the Member State responsible for examining an application for international protection and provides for the applicant to be transferred to that Member State. Following the end of the Brexit transition period, the Dublin Regulation no longer applies to the return of applicants for international protection who have come from the UK to Ireland.

Following the United Kingdom’s exit from the EU, the International Protection Act 2015 (Safe Third Country) Order 2020, came into effect from 11pm on 31 December 2020. The Order designates the UK as a safe third country for the purpose of the International Protection Act 2015. The amendment enables a determination that an application for international protection is inadmissible where the person has arrived in the State from the UK and where the relevant criteria are met. Such inadmissible applicants are returned to the UK under a more simplified returns process that mirrors the EU Dublin process.

There are no plans at present to discontinue this procedure. As far as I am aware, the United Kingdom has not, at this stage, introduced any changes to their immigration or asylum systems. Following the publication of their Policy Statement ‘New Plan for Immigration’ on 24 March 2021, I understand that the UK has initiated a comprehensive consultation and engagement process on the document prior to introducing any changes. The matter will be kept under review in my Department.

The table below contains the number of Dublin III Regulation transfers effected from Ireland to the UK for the years 2018 to 2020.

Year

Effected to UK

2018

17

2019

28

2020

8

Total

53

Garda Strength

Ceisteanna (807)

Jim O'Callaghan

Ceist:

807. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí by rank attached to the Wicklow divisional drugs unit as of 1 January 2020 and 23 March 2021, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16839/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

The Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for the management of An Garda Síochána, including personnel matters and deployment of resources. As Minister, I have no responsibility for these matters. I am assured however, 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.

In relation to the specific location referred to by the Deputy, I am informed by the Garda authorities that there were 4 Gardaí assigned to the Wicklow Divisional Drugs Unit at 31 December 2019. I am further informed that as at 28 February 2021, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 7 Gardaí assigned to the Wicklow Divisional Drugs Unit.

I understand that overall, there are now 315 Garda personnel in Divisional Drugs Units as of 28 February 2021, assigned to tackle drug related crime on a local basis throughout the country. This represents an increase of over 36% since 31 December 2019 when there were 231 Gardaí assigned to Divisional Drugs units nationwide. These members are supported, as needed, by the Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau which has 95 Gardaí attached to it as of 28 February 2021.

A detailed breakdown of Garda numbers is available on my Department’s website. This information is updated every month with the latest data provided by An Garda Síochána. Information on Garda staff, the Garda Workforce and other facts and figures are available from the following link: http://www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Garda_Workforce

Garda Equipment

Ceisteanna (808)

Jim O'Callaghan

Ceist:

808. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the number of new Garda cars and vans allocated to each Garda division in 2020; the number of Garda cars and vans withdrawn from each Garda division in 2020 in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [16841/21]

Amharc ar fhreagra

Freagraí scríofa

As the Deputy will be aware, in accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. The allocation of Garda resources is a matter for the Commissioner, in light of identified operational demands. This includes the allocation of vehicles among the various Garda divisions. As Minister, I have no role in these decisions. I am assured however, 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.

For the Deputy's information, the table below, which was provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the number of cars and vans allocated to and removed from the Garda fleet in 2020.

DIVISION

Cars Allocated

Cars Removed

Vans Allocated

Vans Removed

DMR EAST

14

1

2

0

DMR NORTH

20

8

0

0

DMR NORTH CENTRAL

16

3

2

1

DMR SOUTH

15

6

1

1

DMR SOUTH CENTRAL

14

2

2

0

DMR TRAFFIC

2

1

0

0

DMR WEST

20

8

1

1

HARCOURT SQUARE

6

2

0

0

KILDARE

11

2

1

1

KILKENNY/CARLOW

16

6

0

0

LAOIS-OFFALY

14

6

1

3

MEATH

12

2

0

1

WATERFORD

10

2

0

0

WESTMEATH

12

5

0

0

WEXFORD

11

6

0

1

WICKLOW

10

2

1

3

CAVAN-MONAGHAN

13

8

1

3

DONEGAL

14

7

1

1

GALWAY

22

3

1

3

LOUTH

13

3

0

0

MAYO

12

3

0

0

ROSCOMMON-LONGFORD

13

5

0

1

SLIGO-LEITRIM

12

6

0

0

CLARE

13

7

0

2

CORK CITY

21

9

1

1

CORK NORTH

14

6

0

1

CORK WEST

15

5

1

0

KERRY

16

4

1

1

LIMERICK

18

9

1

0

TIPPERARY

16

5

1

2

HQ/National Units

71

40

6

2

Total

486

182

25

29

Barr
Roinn