2163. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of community Gardaí allocated to the Garda stations in Clondalkin, Ronanstown, Lucan and Rathcoole in each year since 2020 to date in 2026, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55138/26]

2164. Deputy Mark Ward asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the number of vacant community Gardaí positions in the Garda stations in Clondalkin, Ronanstown, Lucan and Rathcoole, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [55139/26]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 2163 and 2164 together.

Under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the distribution and stationing of Garda personnel throughout the State. I engage regularly with the Commissioner and I am assured that the resourcing of each Garda Division is fully considered within the overall context of the needs and requirements of Garda Divisions throughout the country.

As Minister, my priority is getting more Gardaí into all our communities by supporting increased recruitment and appropriate civilianisation where possible. A Garda budget of €2.74 billion in 2026 is funding the recruitment of up to 1,000 new Gardaí, 200 more Garda staff and additional members of the Garda Reserve.

The Garda Commissioner and his senior management team keep the distribution of resources under ongoing review and I understand that when allocating and transferring Garda members to and from any Division, consideration is given to commitments and undertakings outlined in the Annual Policing Plan.

The Commissioner also takes the requirements of all Garda Divisions nationwide into account, which include:

• Local and national crime trends and workloads;

• Policing arrangements and operational strategies;

• Minimum establishment statistics;

• Local population and trends, geographical area and size;

• Transfer applications, including welfare, personnel issues and concerns.

An Garda Síochána publishes information in relation to the allocation of Garda personnel nationally. This includes a breakdown of Gardaí assigned to the Community Policing Units by Division from 2008 to the end of June 2026, the latest date for which figures are available. This can be found at the following links:

Information for 2026 can be found at the following link:

www.garda.ie/en/information-centre/garda-statistics/human%20resources/ .

Information for previous years can be found at the following link:

www.garda.ie/en/about-us/our-departments/human-resources-and-people-development/garda-hr-directorate/garda-strength-breakdown-2025/december-2025.html .