Written Answers Nos. 560-579
560. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice the number of new unmarked Garda cars that came into the fleet in 2024 and to date in 2025; and the number of unmarked Garda cars withdrawn from the fleet during the same period, in tabular form. [13844/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), which includes all operational policing matters. As Minister, I play no role in these independent functions.
The Government is committed to providing An Garda Síochána with the resources needed to keep people safe. Over €2.48 billion has been allocated to An Garda Síochána in Budget 2025. This is allowing for sustained investment in recruitment, equipment, technology and vehicles.
The Garda authorities have provided me with the following table which records the number of unmarked Garda cars allocated to and removed from the fleet in 2024 and in 2025 as of 28 February.
|
- |
Allocated |
Removed |
|
2024 |
123 |
96 |
|
2025 - as on 28 February |
26 |
3 |
The purchase and allocation of vehicles is made on the basis of identified operational demands, the availability of resources, and is reviewed on a continual basis.
For the Deputy’s information, detailed statistics relating to the Garda Fleet are publicly available on the Garda website at the following link:
www.garda.ie/en/about-us/our-departments/finance-services/finance-fleet-management.html
561. Deputy Paul Donnelly asked the Minister for Justice the number of WTE department staff, by grade and gender, working at the border management unit at Dublin Airport, as of 18 March 2025, in tabular form. [13845/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraAs of 18 March 2025, there are 175 staff working in the Border Management Unit (BMU) at Dublin Airport, excluding staff on unpaid leave, such as career breaks. The staffing levels in the BMU are kept under constant review and funding for additional posts has been made available for 2025.
The gender breakdown in the BMU is 115 males and 60 females.
PublicJobs, on behalf of my Department, are due to launch a new competition for Immigration Control Officers (ICO) at the end of this month.
The information requested by the Deputy in respect of the BMU staff working at Dublin Airport is detailed in the table below.
|
Grade |
Total |
|
Immigration Control Officer (CO) |
154 |
|
Immigration Control Supervisor (EO) |
16 |
|
Immigration Control Manager (HEO) |
3 |
|
Assistant Principal |
1 |
|
Principal Officer |
1 |
|
Total |
175 |
562. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Justice the number of new Garda command and control vehicles that came into the fleet in 2023, 2024 and to-date in 2025; and the number of those vehicles withdrawn from the fleet during same period, in tabular form. [13914/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder the Garda Síochána Act 2005, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes the distribution of resources, including Garda fleet, across the various Garda Divisions and National/Specialist Units.
The Government is committed to providing An Garda Síochána with the resources needed to keep people safe. Over €2.48 billion has been provided in Budget 2025 and this is allowing for sustained investment in recruitment, equipment, technology, and vehicles.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that, at the end of February 2025, there were 3,668 vehicles attached to the Garda fleet, the highest total of vehicles ever in use by An Garda Síochána. This represents an increase of over 17% since the end of December 2020.
An Garda Síochána publishes detailed information on the Garda fleet from 2008 to date, including a Divisional/District monthly breakdown. I note the monthly Fleet reports are currently available from 2020 to February 2025. This is publicly available on their website at the following link:
www.garda.ie/en/about-us/our-departments/finance-services/finance-fleet-management.html
I have been informed by Garda management that there are currently four Command and Control vehicles on the Garda fleet as of 28 February. There were no new Command and Control vehicles allocated in 2023, 2024, or 2025 to date, and there were no such vehicles removed from service during the same period.
The allocation of vehicles is made on the basis of identified operational demands and the availability of resources. The allocation of vehicles is monitored and reviewed on a continual basis to ensure the best match with operational requirements.
563. Deputy Darren O'Rourke asked the Minister for Justice the number of family liaison officer courses held for gardaí within Meath-Westmeath division. [13915/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIt has not been possible to collate the information requested by the Deputy in the time available.
I will write to the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.
564. Deputy Tom Brabazon asked the Minister for Justice the names of projects within the Dublin north Garda division that received funding under the Community Safety Innovation Fund in 2023 and 2024, and the amount received per project, in tabular form. [13999/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraIn 2021, the creation of the Community Safety Innovation Fund was announced to reinvest proceeds of crime funds returned to the exchequer by the Criminal Assets Bureau (CAB) back into communities, in order to fund local projects aimed at building stronger, safer communities. The Fund has since been renamed the Community Safety Fund (CSF).
Investing this money back into the community is a tangible way of showing that there can be a direct link between the activities of law enforcement and building stronger, safer communities. The CSF encourages and supports the development of ways in which to improve community safety from those people who best understand the needs in their locality.
Some themes of last year’s successful applicants include projects aimed at addressing anti-social behaviour, domestic violence, drug-related intimidation, safety on public transport, social exclusion, youth programmes, prison post-release support, and more. Many of the projects focus on the use of education, sport, recreation, and social interaction to proactively address safety concerns in communities.
The table below outlines successful projects in the area requested by the Deputy, and the amounts those projects have been paid in 2023 and 2024.
Community Safety Fund 2024 – Dublin North
|
Applicant |
Project |
Funding Received |
|
Dublin City Council |
Dublin Safe Bus Project - aims to enhance night-time community safety. |
€150,000 |
|
Dublin North Inner City Community Safety Partnership (this application is being made by a consortium, comprising of DCC, Dublin Town, LCSP and Ana Liffey Drug Project, LCSP are the lead partner) |
Wolfe Tone Square Local Community Safety Warden Scheme. Wolfe Tone Square Local Community Safety Warden (LCSW) scheme promotes community/business/State agency/community & voluntary sector engagement on safety and reimagining of a positive perception of safety for all users of the space. |
€150,000 |
|
Merchants Quay Ireland |
Peer Engagement Project - aims to address criminal and antisocial behaviour related to drug use through a peer led approach. |
€142,808 |
|
Sphere 17 |
Detached Bus – Out N About: to enable detached youth workers to engage with young people on the street. |
€128,654 |
|
Dublin City Council on behalf of Darndale Implementation Oversight Group |
Darndale Implementation Oversight Group (DIOG) - to collaborate with a media company to develop and execute a communications strategy that keeps the community informed about progress and developments. |
€114,316 |
|
North Inner City Drug Alcohol |
Evaluation of Sports Engagement Programme’– to provide various sports programs aimed at diverting youth from street crime and substance misuse. |
€70,000 |
|
National Women’s Council of Ireland |
The Women’s Community Safety Café - to develop, create and conduct The Women’s Community Safety Café. |
€60,314 (one year pro-rata) |
|
Ballymun Local Drugs and Alcohol Task Force |
Making My Own Choices Project, Ballymun - a team of community-based drug workers will conduct a four-week education program each term in all 11 primary schools in Ballymun for two years. |
€45,500 |
|
Northside Partnership |
Connecting Youth - to design and implement Connecting Youth – a targeted 10-week programme for young people at risk in D17 and D5. |
€21,600 |
|
The Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (Nationwide) |
Non-violent Resistance - is a 9-week, supportive program for parents experiencing child-to-parent violence that involves group work and face-to-face support. |
€68,915 (one year pro-rata) |
Community Safety Fund 2023 – Dublin North
|
Applicant |
Project |
Funding Received |
|
WASP |
WASP Community Education Programme CLG - WASP aims to build upon their 2020 drug related intimidation pilot to establish a mechanism of support for those experiencing intimidation. The project is seeking to employ a temporary project worker (24 months). |
€150,000 |
|
Acts of Compassion |
Ethnic Policing Forum Project - aims to provide vital support to a range of vulnerable migrants in Dublin’s North East Inner City. Plans to employ a gatekeeping worker who will facilitate intervention meetings in the ethnic policing forum group’s engagements with local Gardaí. |
€20,000 |
|
Lusk Community Council CLG |
Creative Lusk 2025 - Lusk is a rapidly growing town, increasingly facing youth anti-social issues. This means that the community is becoming less safe and residents are concerned about a downward spiral where such activities become normalised. Creative Lusk will seek to creatively address these anti-social issues using arts, curiosity and innovation in the town to connect with the “hard to reach” youths and present alternative role and peer models for the youth to engage with. |
€150,000 |
|
Ana Liffey Drug Project |
Law Engagement & Assisted Recovery Smithfield /Broadstone Project - to provide frontline social inclusion case workers to work with people in the Smithfield/Broadstone area who are referred by Gardaí. The case work would support people away from antisocial and criminal behaviour and towards addiction and social recovery. Cases would be co-managed with Gardaí, with explicit service users consent in place. |
€107,964 |
|
Bohemian Football Club Company |
North Inner City (NIC) Sporting Alliance Programme - intends to provide frontline social inclusion case workers to work with people in the Smithfield/Broadstone area who are referred by Gardaí. The case work would support people away from antisocial and criminal behaviour and towards addiction and social recovery. Cases would be co-managed with Gardaí, with explicit service users consent in place. |
€147,175 |
|
Inner City Organisations Network ICON |
Community Safety Response to Child and Human Trafficking in the NEIC - The project aims to develop and implement a community-led response to child and human trafficking. Modelled on similar work in the UK (‘Not in Our Community Campaign’, an award-winning campaign by the Office of the Police and Crime Commissioner for Humberside), the project aims to raise awareness through information and support campaigns based on lived experience. |
€28,000 |
It should be noted that funding is distributed following a review and assessment of applications received. Furthermore, funding is distributed in a managed way over the period that projects are operational, and so funds are required each year to complete prior year's projects. Therefore, the distribution annually does not strictly adhere to the total amounts available.
Following the establishment of new National Office for Community Safety, it will manage the fund in conjunction with new Local Community Safety Partnerships, further enhancing the CSF's ability to target worthwhile community-based projects.
The fund was increased to €4m in budget 2025.
565. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the number of rapes and sexual assaults that were recorded where the suspected offenders were on bail in each of the past three years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14008/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra566. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the number of violent assaults that were recorded where the suspected offenders were on bail in each of the past three years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14009/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra567. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the number of cases of murder, attempted murder and manslaughter that were recorded where the suspected offenders were on bail in each of the past three years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14010/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra568. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the number of cases of failing to remain at the scene of an accident that were recorded where the suspected offenders were on bail in each of the past three years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14011/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra569. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the number of cases of armed robberies that were recorded where the suspected offenders were on bail in each of the past three years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14012/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra570. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the number of cases of offences under section 9 possession of knives and other articles of the Firearms and Offensive Weapons Act 1990, that were recorded where the suspected offenders were on bail in each of the past three years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14014/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 565 to 570, inclusive, together.
It is, of course, totally unacceptable that offences are committed by people while on bail. That is a direct breach of their undertaking when granted bail by the court.
Our laws, particularly the Bail Act 1997 (as amended), provide for the refusal of bail in particular circumstances in line with the Constitution. The law sets out the circumstances where bail can be refused and also provides powers to An Garda Síochána to object to bail being granted.
The presiding judge is entirely independent in the exercise of their judicial functions, and the decision to grant or refuse bail in a particular case is solely a matter for the court. It must be noted that restriction on a person’s liberty prior to conviction is taken very seriously, given the Constitutional presumption that every person is deemed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
The Bail Act, as it stands, contains robust provisions on both dealing with and pre-empting breaches of bail.
Where an individual fails to comply with any bail conditions, the judge may issue a bench warrant, mandating An Garda Síochána to arrest and bring the person before the court. Furthermore, a Garda may immediately arrest a person without a warrant where the member has reasonable cause to suspect that that person has breached, or is about to breach, a bail condition and the Garda considers the arrest necessary to prevent harm to, interference with, or intimidation of a victim or witness.
I am committed to keeping our bail laws under review and any further useful amendments that are identified will be introduced as appropriate.
I have requested the information sought by the Deputy and I am advised that it has not been possible for An Garda Síochána to collate this information in the timeframe available.
I have requested that An Garda Síochána continue working to collate this information and I will write directly to the Deputy as soon as it is available.
571. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the number of times in each of the past three years that the DPP has appealed decisions to grant bail, and the number of times in each of the past three years that the DPP has appealed conditions of bail, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14015/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP) is an independent law officer under the Prosecution of Offences Act 1974 (as amended) and I have no role in relation to the work of the Office of the DPP. As such I am not in possession of information regarding the number of files received by the DPP, decisions in relation to prosecutions, or appeals brought by that office. I would advise the Deputy to direct any questions in relation to the work of the Office of the DPP directly to that office.
572. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice for an update on the work of the An Garda Síochána recruitment training capacity planning group, including any plans for the establishment of a second Garda training college; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14016/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities, and strengthening An Garda Síochána is at the core of that. We will continue to provide An Garda Síochána with the resources it needs to ensure communities around Ireland are safe and feel safe, including to invest in recruitment, in equipment and technology and in buildings. Over €2.48 billion has been allocated to An Garda Síochána in Budget 2025, a 27% increase since 2020. Significant measures have been made to boost recruitment and retention including increasing the Garda trainee allowance to €354 per week; the age of entry has increased from 35 to 50; and the mandatory retirement age has been raised to 62. The impacts of these changes have been positive so far with the latest Garda recruitment campaign launched in February and receiving over 6,700 applications. In addition, the Garda College, on 10 March 2025, welcomed 201 candidates to begin training which represents the highest Intake since 2019. The Programme for Government commits to examining a range of further measures to enhance recruitment to An Garda Síochána. These include commitments to:
• Enable An Garda Síochána recruit 5,000 members across the next five years
• Continue to support and expand the Garda Training College in Templemore
• Reform the Garda recruitment and training processes to increase capacity and to widen the talent pool which will include expanding capacity at Templemore Garda Training College
• Consider the establishment of a second Garda training college.
The Recruitment and Training Capacity Group to which the Deputy referred has been established, chaired by my Department, to support the achievement of increased recruitment. The Group will keep me informed on actions being taking to maximise future intakes and to ensure the 2025 recruitment can be as effective as possible.
The Group’s work is ongoing and all options to enhance recruitment effectively are being considered, including the commitments in the Programme for Government. I look forward to the submission of the final report to me in the summer which I expect will include further measures to support recruitment and retention.
573. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the details of all new Garda stations planned to be commenced within the next five years; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14017/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraUnder section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business, including all decisions related to the upgrade of the Garda Estate. Works on the Estate are undertaken by the OPW in cooperation with the Garda Authorities. This includes planning and completion matters. I have contacted the Garda authorities for the information requested by the Deputy, regrettably this was not available in time. I will write to the Deputy again once the information is to hand.
574. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the number and percentage of applicants to An Garda Síochána who did not satisfy fit the physical competence test in each of the last five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14018/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra575. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the number and percentage of applicants to An Garda Síochána who did not satisfy the educational requirements in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14019/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra576. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the number and percentage of applicants to an Garda Síochána who did not satisfy the requirement to be of good character in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14020/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra577. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the number and percentage of applicants to an Garda Síochána who failed the substance misuse test in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14021/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra578. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the number and percentage of applicants to An Garda Síochána who failed the medical assessment in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14022/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra579. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the number and percentage of applicants to an Garda Síochána who failed the vetting process in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14023/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra580. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the number and percentage of applicants to An Garda Síochána who did not pass the online verbal and numerical reasoning tests and written exercises in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14024/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra581. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the number and percentage of applicants to An Garda Síochána who did not pass the interview process in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14025/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra582. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice the number and percentage of applicants to An Garda Síochána who did not pass the eligibility checks in each of the past five years, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14026/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 574 to 582, inclusive, together.
It has not been possible to collate the information requested by the Deputy in the time available.
I will write to the Deputy directly once the information is to hand.
