Rise in garda staff for divisions with lowest crime rates
New figures published by the Department of Justice reveal the size of the force — excluding gardaí attached to national units and Garda headquarters in Dublin — has fallen to just 11,407 with the loss of 162 officers over the past six months.
Most of the 28 Garda divisions have seen a reduction in the number of gardaí since the start of the year.
However, four divisions have recorded a slight increase in staffing levels over the course of 2013 — Mayo (up 1.7%); Roscommon/Longford (up 1.4%); Sligo/Leitrim (up 1.3%); and Laois/Offaly (up 0.7%).
In a major analysis of official crime statistics published by the Irish Examiner earlier this year, Mayo and Roscommon/Longford emerged as the two Garda divisions with the lowest crime levels in the country in 2012.
In addition, Sligo-Leitrim had the second highest level of gardaí per head of population after Limerick, despite having a relatively low crime rate.
In a recent response to a parliamentary question from Kildare TD Catherine Murphy (Ind) on Garda deployment levels, Justice Minister Alan Shatter said: “The allocation of resources is constantly monitored in the context of demographics, crime trends, policing needs, and other operational strategies in place on a district, divisional, and regional level to ensure optimum use is made of Garda resources and the best possible Garda service is provided to the public.”
Meanwhile, Cavan/Monaghan has suffered the biggest loss in personnel during 2013, with the size of the force in the two counties down by almost 4% with the departure of 13 gardaí. A total of 335 gardaí remain in the border division.
Waterford, which had the third highest crime rate in Ireland in 2012, has also experienced a large reduction in Garda deployment, with the number of gardaí in the county down by more than 3.5% since January — down 10 to 274.
The number of gardaí stationed in Limerick — which has the second highest crime rate but also the most gardaí per head of population — has fallen by almost 2% this year — down 12 to 593.
Other Garda divisions to suffer reductions in excess of 2% since January include Kilkenny/Carlow, Donegal, Cork City, Dublin North, Dublin North Central, and Dublin West.
The number of gardaí in Kerry, Wicklow, and Kildare has remained unchanged since the start of the year.
Compared to the start of 2012, the number of gardaí deployed in Garda stations has shrunk by 4.5% over a period when more than 100 stations, predominantly in isolated rural parts, were closed.
Figures show there are now 532 fewer gardaí based in stations compared to 18 months ago.
Numbers are down by more than 8% in the Dublin East region and by almost 7% in Cavan/Monaghan, Limerick, Dublin North, and Wexford.
Mr Shatter announced earlier this month that the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Brendan Howlin, had sanctioned a new recruitment competition for An Garda Síochána amid concern that the overall size of the force could fall below 13,000.
Mr Shatter said he favoured trainee gardaí being recruited on a regular basis, even at modest levels, despite the general moratorium on recruitment in the public service.
However, he acknowledged that it will be 2014 before the new students will start training at the Garda College in Templemore, Co Tipperary.
More than 27,000 people have already signalled an interest in applying for the trainee positions, although the existing Garda recruitment panel will not be used as it is now approximately five years old.
Mr Shatter said it was too early to indicate how many gardaí will be recruited, as it will depend on a number of factors including the rate of retirements by existing gardaí.
A major review of An Garda Síochána to include its structure, organisation and staffing is due to commence in September before completion of a final report in Jun 2014.
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