Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 20 January 2026
756. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current number of vacancies in each Garda station in County Offaly, in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4331/26]
View answer757. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current number of community Gardaí allocated to each Garda station in County Offaly, in each of the past five years; the current number of community Garda position that are vacant in County Offaly; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [4332/26]
View answerI propose to take Questions Nos. 756 and 757 together.
The Garda Commissioner is responsible by law for the distribution and allocation of Gardaí throughout the State. As Minister, my priority is getting more Gardaí into all our communities by supporting increased recruitment and appropriate civilianisation where possible. A Garda budget of €2.74 billion in 2026 will fund the recruitment of up to 1,000 new Gardaí, 200 more Garda staff and a doubling of the Garda Reserve to over 600.
I am assured that the resourcing of each Garda Division is fully considered within the overall context of the needs and requirements of Garda Divisions throughout the country.
The Garda Commissioner and his senior management team keep the distribution of resources under ongoing review and I understand that, when allocating and transferring Garda members to and from any Division, consideration is given to commitments and undertakings outlined in the Annual Policing Plan.
The Commissioner takes the requirements of all Garda Divisions nationwide into account, which include:
• Local and national crime trends and workloads;
• Policing arrangements and operational strategies;
• Minimum establishment statistics;
• Local population and trends, geographical area and size;
• Transfer applications, including welfare, personnel issues and concerns.
In the interest of transparency, An Garda Síochána publishes information in relation to the allocation of Gardaí nationally. This includes a breakdown of Gardaí assigned to the Laois/Offaly Division and a breakdown of members assigned to community policing by Garda Division. This can be found at the following link:
The Deputy should select the most recently available month and then select the file titled ‘Garda members by Division District Station to the most recent date', to access a breakdown of Garda members assigned by Division and Station. The Deputy can select the file titled 'Community Garda by Division to the most recent date', to access a breakdown of Community Gardaí by division.
