Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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262. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the breakdown of Garda personnel, by rank, assigned to the Mayo division of An Garda Síochána for all years from 2016 to 2024; the steps being taken to increase these numbers; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43693/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the deployment of Garda members throughout the State.

I am informed by the Garda authorities that a distribution model is used which takes into account all relevant factors including population, crime trends and the policing needs of each individual Division.

I am assured by the Garda Commissioner that personnel assigned throughout the country, together with the overall policing arrangements and operational strategies are continually monitored and reviewed. Such monitoring ensures that optimum use is made of resources and the best possible policing service is provided to the general public.

The Government is committed to supporting Garda recruitment. In Budget 2025 over €2.48 billion has been allocated to An Garda Síochána. This is a 27% increase since 2020 and will allow for the sustained recruitment of new Garda recruits through to next year.

As of the end of June, the latest date for which verified and published figures are available, there were over 14,000 Garda members assigned across the country. This represents an increase of approximately 10% since 2015, when there were 12,816 Gardaí throughout the country.

A number of actions have been taken to support increased recruitment. We have increased the age of entry from 35 to 50 and most recently increased the training allowance to €354, representing an increase of over 92% in the last 12 months.

It is important to note that in 2022 the Mayo Division was merged into the Mayo/Roscommon/Longford Division under the New Operating Model. For this reason, I have included two tables below: one detailing Gardaí personnel by rank in the Mayo Division from 2016 to 2021, and another detailing Gardaí personnel by rank in the Mayo/Roscommon/Longford Division from 2022 to 2024.

As of June 2024, there are 581 Gardaí assigned to the Mayo/Roscommon/Longford Division, consisting of 443 Gardaí, 110 Sergeants, 22 Inspectors, 5 Superintendents, and 1 Chief Superintendent.

They are supported by 102 Garda staff members as of the same date. Garda staff provide vital administrative support and help free up Garda members to focus on front line duties.

The Deputy should be advised that all figures provided to me by the Garda authorities are operational and subject to change.

(GD – Garda, SG – Sergeant, IN – Inspector, SU – Superintendent, CS – Chief Superintendent)

Éamon Ó Cuív (Galway West, Fianna Fail)
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263. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of new recruits to An Garda Síochána approved each year from 2016 to date; the number of these who completed training each year; the number assigned to the Mayo division; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43694/24]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to fight crime and a strengthened, well-resourced Garda organisation is central to this policy. This is reflected in the unprecedented allocation of over €2.48 billion to An Garda Síochána, a 27% increase since 2020. This funding allows for the continued recruitment of Garda members and staff.

The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), including the recruitment and training of Garda members and staff.

Since the reopening of the Garda college in September 2014 a total of 4,824 Garda members have attested and have been allocated to Garda stations nationwide. This includes the 430 probationers who have attested to date this year.

The table below sets out the number of trainees who entered the Garda college in 2016 and up to September 2024.

I am further advised that the table below sets out the number of probationer Garda members assigned to Mayo for each year since 2016.

In the interest of transparency, information in relation to the allocation of Probationer Gardaí by Division and Station breakdown is publicly available and can be found at the following link. I can also advise the Deputy that I have received the most recent figures for the attestation on 20 September 2024 from An Garda Síochána which has been published on the website.

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