Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 January 2026
727. Deputy Michael Murphy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of Garda roads policing vehicles equipped with automatic number plate recognition technology and interconnection with Garda mobility devices. [5847/26]
View answerI am committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs and a strengthened, well-resourced Garda organisation is central to this policy. The Garda Vote in Budget 2026 saw unprecedented funding of over €2.74 billion for this year which is allowing for sustained investment in recruitment, equipment, technology, and vehicles.
The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána under Section 33 of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024. This includes all operational policing and responsibility for the allocation and deployment of resources and personnel available to him, including the Garda fleet.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that there are currently 158 vehicles equipped with Automatic Number Plate Recognition (ANPR). Of these, 138 have the ability to connect to the vehicle’s ANPR system through the Garda Mobility device. Garda vehicles with ANPR do not require interconnectivity to Mobility devices for the ANPR system to work. Currently 13,000 Garda members have the ability to use an interconnecting Mobile Monitor app on their Mobility device that displays the ANPR results while connected to the vehicle’s internal network.
I am also informed that Mobility devices have a separate handheld ANPR app that works without connectivity to a vehicle. This standalone ANPR app is currently deployed to 739 members.
