Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 May 2026
30. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of gardaí in County Meath; if he is aware that County Meath has, for years, had the lowest number of gardaí per population in the State; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34344/26]
View answerThe Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and allocation of Garda resources. I am assured by the Commissioner that when allocating Garda resources, consideration is given to commitments and undertakings outlined in the Annual Policing Plan. The requirements of all Garda Divisions nationwide are also taken into account, which include:
• Local and national crime trends and workloads
• Policing arrangements and operational strategies
• Local population and trends, geographical area and size
• Transfer applications, including welfare, personnel issues and concerns.
Under Budget 2026, I secured record funding of €2.74 billion for An Garda Síochána to support recruitment and staffing. This will support recruitment of up to 1,000 Gardai, 200 more Garda staff and additional members of the Garda Reserve.
Significant initiatives have been taken to boost recruitment and as reflected in the number of applications received to join An Garda Síochána, the numbers entering the Garda College, just under 800 in 2025 we are already seeing the impact of these changes.
Recruitment into An Garda Síochána has gathered real momentum and I am determined to ensure that we have a steady pipeline of new recruits into the Garda college so that we can see more Gardaí assigned all around the country. Together with the Garda Commissioner, I launched this year's recruitment campaign on Monday, 11 May. The campaign runs until 3 June and I encourage anyone who has an interest in a career as a Garda to apply through publicjobs.ie.
I am informed that as of March 2026, there are 557 Gardaí assigned to the Meath/Westmeath division. This includes 321 Gardaí assigned to the Meath South and Meath North Community Engagement Areas, which include Ashbourne, Kells, Navan and Trim.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Government is committed to recruiting up to 5,000 Gardaí over its term in office. I am confident that with these increased numbers, more Gardaí will be assigned to the Meath/Westmeath Division.
