Paul Donnelly (Dublin West, Sinn Fein)
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571. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality further to Parliamentary Question No. 524 of 18 September 2024, if she has received the necessary information from the Garda authorities in order for this Parliamentary Question to be answered. [42901/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I have contacted the Garda authorities for the information sought by the Deputy, regrettably this was not available on time. I will write to the Deputy again once the information is to hand.

Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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572. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality to provide a detailed update on the current status of negotiations with a union (details supplied) regarding the potential loss of Civil Service status for clerical officers in An Garda Síochána, including whether an agreement has been reached; the terms of any such agreement; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42913/24]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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573. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the measures that are being taken to ensure that clerical officers who may lose their Civil Service status retain their mobility rights to transfer to other Government departments; the reason why the mobility status of clerical staff in An Garda Síochána was frozen for six months without union consultation; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42914/24]

Michael Lowry (Tipperary, Independent)
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574. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the steps that are being taken to address the stress and uncertainty faced by clerical officers in An Garda Síochána due to the lack of communication from both a union (details supplied) and her Department; to ensure that transparent and timely updates are provided to these employees; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [42915/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 572 to 574, inclusive, together.

The Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024 was signed into law by the President on 7 February 2024 and final preparations are underway in my Department to commence the Act, which I intend to do by way of Order on 16 December 2024.

The Act is largely based on the recommendations made in the report of the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland (CoFPI). CoFPI recommended that Garda staff be recruited directly to An Garda Síochána, rather than the Civil Service. A central tenet of the CoFPI report was that An Garda Síochána should be seen and treated as a single organisation with a single workforce who share a common mission. It found that more integrated workforce structures were required to leverage the different skills and perspectives of Garda members and Garda staff and thereby to contribute to enhancing the capacity of the organisation to deliver better policing outcomes. It is for this reason that the Act provides that Garda staff will in future be recruited and appointed by the Garda Commissioner, rather than as civil servants. Senior members of Garda staff will be appointed by the Commissioner with the approval of Bord an Gharda Síochána.

During the passage of the Act through the Houses last year, I made an important amendment to the legislation to protect the civil servant status of existing Garda staff for a minimum two-year period after the Act is commenced. Any future proposed change in their status is subject to engagement with their recognised trade unions and staff associations and the consideration of any representations made by them. We have given a commitment to Fórsa and the Association of Higher Civil and Public Servants (AHCPS) that this process of engagement for existing staff will begin as soon as the Act is commenced and that all proposals they may wish to make will be considered at that time.

A Working Group on New Garda Staff Terms and Conditions was established with an Independent Chair and its membership includes representatives from my Department, from An Garda Síochána and from Fórsa and AHCPS. The Group has worked to prepare and agree a new contract and associated policy documents for new staff that will be recruited to An Garda Síochána after the commencement of the 2024 Act as public servants, modelled on the same terms and conditions applicable to civil servants. The work of the group is nearing completion and I expect that the outcomes of the work will be communicated to Garda staff at the appropriate time.

As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is by law responsible for the administration of An Garda Síochána, including matters relating to HR and mobility for Garda staff. As Minister, I have no role in these matters.

Thomas Gould (Cork North Central, Sinn Fein)
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575. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Gardaí in Cork, broken down by unit (for example, drugs policing, road traffic) in Cork city in September 2020, 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024, respectively, in tabular form. [42983/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, a further record-breaking increase in funding for An Garda Síochána was allocated in Budget 2025. The allocation for An Garda Síochána now stands at almost €2.5 billion, and has increased by more than a quarter since 2020. This funding will support the recruitment of new Garda members, Garda staff and Garda Reserves, and reflects the Government’s commitment to supporting all parts of the organisation.

I am assured that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review, in the context of crime trends and policing priorities.

The Deputy may be interested to know that crime such as burglary, public order offences, and drugs offences have decreased across the County when 2023 is compared with 2019.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that at the end of June 2024, the latest date for which figures are available, there was a total of 1,269 Garda members assigned to Cork. Of this total, there were 667 Garda members assigned to Cork City Division, 322 to Cork North Division, and 280 to Cork West Division. This represents an increase of over 3% when compared to figures at the end of 2015 when there was a total of 1,225 Garda members assigned to Cork.

I am further advised that as of the same date there are 217 Garda staff working alongside Garda members in Cork, a total which has doubled since 2015. Garda staff carry out vital roles to increase availability of Gardaí to focus on front-line duties. The significant increase in Garda staff across the country in recent years has enabled 900 Gardaí to be freed up for front-line duties.

The table below outlines the total number of Garda members assigned to Cork as of the end of December 2020 to 2023, and as of 30 June 2024, the latest date for when figures are available this year.

The table below outlines the total number of Roads Policing Gardaí assigned to Cork as of the end of December 2020 to 2023, and as of 30 June 2024, the latest date for when figures are available this year.

The further table below outlines the number of Community Gardaí assigned to Cork as of the end of December 2020 to 2023, and as of 30 June 2024, the latest date for when figures are available this year.

In relation to the number of members assigned to the Divisional Drugs Units, I am advised by the Garda authorities that this information cannot be shared under security grounds.

I am informed that it is the experience of the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), that such information is invaluable to local drug trafficking networks and can at times be taken into account when active in their respective criminal enterprises.

I am also informed by the Garda authorities that this information can facilitate the identification of all officers deployed full time on such duties, and in turn the work patterns of such officers.

In the interest of transparency, information in relation to the allocation of Garda members by Division is publicly available and can be found at the following link.

www.gov.ie/en/publication/bd777-an-garda-siochana-your-police-service-some-facts-and-figures/.