Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 7 May 2026
381. Deputy Donna McGettigan asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the High Visibility Policing Plan for Dublin city will be expanded into northside communities such as Cabra; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [33466/26]
View answerThe Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under section 33 of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, including the allocation and deployment of Garda resources. Decisions regarding patrols, including the rollout and expansion of the high-visibility policing plan, are operational matters for the Commissioner and local Garda management.
I engage regularly with the Commissioner to ensure our Gardaí have the resources they need. The Garda Vote in Budget 2026 includes unprecedented funding of €2.74 billion which will support the continued recruitment of Garda personnel. This allocation demonstrates the Government’s commitment to ensuring An Garda Síochána has provision for the equipment, technology, facilities, fleet and personnel it needs to carry out vital policing work.
As of the end of March, there were 733 Gardaí and 63 staff assigned to the Dublin Metropolitan Region West Division. There are 67 Gardaí assigned to Cabra Garda Station as of this date.
The latest attestation from Templemore was held on Friday, 1 May, and 57 of the 193 Probationer Gardaí who attested were assigned to DMR West.
An Garda Siochana introduced a High Visibility Policing (HPV) Plan in Dublin City Centre in March 2025. This initiative has since been rolled out to Cork and Limerick City Centres, as well as areas of South Dublin, including Tallaght and Dún Laoghaire. The Garda Commissioner is committed to continuing this rollout to other areas of the Dublin Metropolitan Region, and to other areas nationwide. Ongoing Garda recruitment is supporting this commitment.
Feedback from business and the public on the High Visibility Policing approach in Dublin and the other cities where it has been introduced, has been very positive and I look forward to it being rolled out to other areas into the future.
