Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 9 October 2025
33. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the steps he is taking to increase the number of community Gardaí; the number of community Gardaí at the start of 2025; the target number; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54119/25]
View answerThis 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. The Programme for Government also includes a commitment to ensure each community policing area has a dedicated community Garda, so everyone knows their local officer and how to contact them.
The Garda Vote in Budget 2026 includes unprecedented funding of over €2.59 billion which will support the continued recruitment of Garda members and staff. Increasing the overall strength on An Garda Síochána will, in turn, increase the number of Gardaí available to work in areas like community policing.
At the end of August 2025, the total Garda personnel strength stood at over 18,000, including 14,369 Garda members, 3,494 Garda staff, and 296 Garda Reserves. I will continue to support An Garda Síochána to increase this number further so that we can see more Gardaí assigned all across the country.
While the allocation of Gardaí is by law a matter for the Garda Commissioner, I'm assured by him that the resourcing requirements for community policing are closely monitored on an ongoing basis to ensure that each Garda Division is in a position to carry out their functions in an effective manner. The allocation of additional Gardaí will be considered by the Commissioner in the context of the overall policing needs and operational priorities of the organisation.
As of 31 August 2025, 664 Garda members were assigned to Community Policing Teams nationwide.
Community Gardaí play a pivotal role in building trust between Gardaí and the public, through visible, responsive policing and open dialogue in neighbourhoods, schools and diverse community groups. It is through this engagement that communities and Gardaí work together to prevent crime and strengthen local resilience.
Community policing is at the heart of An Garda Síochána and all Gardaí have a role to play in community policing in the course of carrying out their duties.
In the interest of transparency, information in relation to the allocation of Gardaí assigned to Community Policing units by Division is publicly available and can be found at the following link:
www.garda.ie/en/about-us/our-departments/human-resources-and-people-development/garda-hr-directorate/garda-strength-breakdown-2025/
The Deputy should select last relevant month and access the file titled “Community Garda by Division 2008 to 31 August 2025” for a breakdown of total Gardaí numbers going back to 2008.
