Dáil Éireann Debate, Monday - 7 September 2026
2144. Deputy Ken O'Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total allocation provided to An Garda Síochána for EU Presidency policing; the amount drawn down to date; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [59656/26]
View answerThe 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 which includes the distribution and stationing of Garda personnel throughout the State. The Commissioner is also the Accounting Officer for An Garda Síochána under Section 72 of the Act, and is responsible for the Garda budget.
As Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, I am committed to ensuring a successful and safe Irish Presidency and I am working closely with other Departments and State agencies in the planning and delivery of Ireland’s programme.
The scale and significance of Presidency events planned to take place in Ireland, mean that unprecedented security considerations arise. The security arrangements being put in place will necessarily reflect the wider backdrop of a changed EU security landscape and a more complex threat environment.
I am regularly briefed by the Garda Commissioner on the policing and security aspects of planning for and delivering a successful Presidency and I have engaged extensively with my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Jack Chambers TD, to ensure An Garda Síochána have what is needed to provide for the security needs for all events, and high-level visits hosted in Ireland during Ireland's Presidency.
I secured €125 million in the Revised Estimates for 2026 for An Garda Síochána to cover the additional policing and security costs that are expected to arise.
An Garda Síochána has been engaged in detailed planning of all aspects of the security and policing requirements for many months now. This work includes the operational and logistics planning, interagency engagement and continuous liaison with policing and security partners across the EU, and officials from my Department, the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade and the Office of Public Works.
