Dáil Éireann Debate, Thursday - 14 May 2026
20. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration further to the recent roll-out of high-visibility policing in south and west Dublin, if he will consider a further roll-out of this model to districts K and H, including the urban villages across north Dublin, including Santry, Beaumont, Finglas and Ballymun; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [35729/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe 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.
Just under 800 trainees entered the Garda College last year, the highest number since 2018. 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 to the Dublin Metropolitan Region and, indeed, all around the country.
Along with the Commissioner, I launched a new Garda recruitment campaign earlier this week and encourage anyone considering a career in An Garda Síochána to apply.
The areas mentioned by the Deputy cover the Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) West and North Garda Divisions. As of the end of March, there were 733 Gardaí and 63 staff assigned to the DMR West Division, while there were 753 Gardaí and 70 staff assigned to the DMR North Division.
So far this year, 75 Probationer Gardaí who attested were assigned to DMR West and 63 Probationer Gardaí who attested were assigned to DMR North.
An Garda Siochana introduced a High Visibility Policing (HVP) 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.
