As the Deputy will be aware, under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including the recruitment and training of Garda members and staff. As Minister, I have no direct role in these matters.
I am pleased to note that since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, a total of 3,851 Garda members have been assigned to Garda Divisions throughout the country. For the Deputy's information the table below, which has been provided to me by the Garda authorities, sets out the number of probationer Gardaí who were assigned to Garda Divisions from 2018 up to 11 March 2022.
Divisions
|
2018
|
2019
|
2020
|
2021
|
2022
|
Total
|
D.M.R. EAST
|
30
|
26
|
14
|
4
|
10
|
84
|
D.M.R. NORTH
|
77
|
55
|
42
|
6
|
15
|
195
|
D.M.R. NORTH CENTRAL
|
73
|
38
|
23
|
7
|
20
|
161
|
D.M.R. SOUTH
|
56
|
54
|
24
|
4
|
12
|
150
|
D.M.R. SOUTH CENTRAL
|
61
|
75
|
23
|
5
|
17
|
181
|
D.M.R. WEST
|
81
|
61
|
32
|
7
|
24
|
205
|
CAVAN / MONAGHAN
|
35
|
45
|
11
|
4
|
3
|
98
|
CLARE
|
15
|
0
|
6
|
3
|
2
|
26
|
CORK CITY
|
23
|
15
|
27
|
9
|
8
|
82
|
CORK NORTH
|
13
|
11
|
17
|
6
|
8
|
55
|
CORK WEST
|
11
|
0
|
7
|
6
|
0
|
24
|
DONEGAL
|
26
|
43
|
15
|
5
|
2
|
91
|
GALWAY
|
16
|
14
|
13
|
7
|
5
|
55
|
KERRY
|
14
|
0
|
14
|
6
|
0
|
34
|
KILDARE
|
30
|
17
|
23
|
7
|
13
|
90
|
KILKENNY/CARLOW
|
12
|
8
|
23
|
4
|
6
|
53
|
LAOIS / OFFALY
|
22
|
5
|
21
|
8
|
10
|
66
|
LIMERICK
|
34
|
12
|
31
|
7
|
9
|
93
|
LOUTH
|
32
|
42
|
21
|
5
|
10
|
110
|
MAYO
|
0
|
0
|
10
|
5
|
1
|
16
|
MEATH
|
19
|
19
|
25
|
3
|
11
|
77
|
ROSCOMMON / LONGFORD
|
3
|
5
|
12
|
3
|
1
|
24
|
SLIGO / LEITRIM
|
6
|
13
|
15
|
6
|
0
|
40
|
TIPPERARY
|
13
|
8
|
25
|
8
|
8
|
62
|
WATERFORD
|
36
|
21
|
16
|
4
|
8
|
85
|
WESTMEATH
|
4
|
0
|
9
|
4
|
1
|
18
|
WEXFORD
|
26
|
9
|
13
|
4
|
5
|
57
|
WICKLOW
|
21
|
9
|
10
|
1
|
5
|
46
|
REMAINING IN COLLEGE (STATION TO BE NOTIFIED)
|
|
|
|
|
1
|
1
|
Total
|
789
|
605
|
522
|
148
|
215
|
2,279
|
The Deputy may wish to be aware that the allocation of Probationer Gardaí by Division and station from 2015 up to 11 March 2022 is published on my Department's Website and can be accessed using the following link:
www.justice.ie/en/JELR/Pages/Probationer_Gardaí
Additionally, over 800 Garda members have also been redeployed in recent years from administrative duties to frontline policing roles where their expertise can be utilised fully.
Budget 2022 has provided an unprecedented allocation of in excess of €2 billion to An Garda Síochána, which includes funding for the recruitment of up to an additional 800 Gardaí and a further 400 Garda staff, subject to the public health situation. This significant investment demonstrates the Government's commitment to increasing the Garda workforce to enable the organisation to keep our communities safe.