Most Garda divisions had fewer frontline officers last year, figures show

ireland
Most Garda Divisions Had Fewer Frontline Officers Last Year, Figures Show
Official figures show 12 Garda divisions saw a drop in the number of gardaí over the course of 2024. Photo: Collins
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Seán McCárthaigh

More than half of all Garda divisions nationwide had fewer gardaí at the end of 2024 than at the start of the year, despite overall numbers in the force increasing by 1.4 per cent over the same period.

Official figures on the size of the Garda workforce published by the Department of Justice show 12 of the country’s 22 Garda divisions experienced a decrease in the number of gardaí over the course of 2024.

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The reduction in the number of gardaí was in excess of 6 per cent in two divisions – Waterford and Louth/Cavan/Monaghan.

Overall, the number of frontline gardaí attached to the national network of around 560 Garda stations fell from 12,045 to 11,928 over the 12-month period – a decrease of 117, representing a reduction of 1 per cent in staffing levels.

However, the available strength of An Garda Síochána grew over the same timeframe with a net increase of 193 gardaí to bring total numbers to 14,191 – up 1.4 per cent.

When the number of gardaí not available for work due to career breaks, maternity leave, work-sharing, secondments and paternity leave were excluded, the actual strength of the force recorded a net increase of 206 to reach 13,979 during to 2024 – an annual increase of 1.5 per cent.

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The latest figures show the upward trend in Garda numbers was only matched in nine of the 22 divisions including four divisions in the Dublin metropolitan region including the two covering and north and south inner city.

Staffing levels in one division – Kilkenny/Carlow – remained unchanged at 312 gardaí.

The biggest increases in Garda staffing levels were recorded in Dublin West (an area covering Ballyfermot, Blanchardstown, Finglas, Clondalkin and Lucan) which had a net increase of 32 for a total of 754 gardaí – an annual increase of 4.4 per cent – followed by Laois/Offaly (up 16 to 387) with an increase of 4.3 per cent.

The only other areas with more Garda numbers in 2024 than the previous year were Kildare, Sligo/Leitrim, Cork County and Kerry.

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In contrast, staffing levels in a majority of the 22 Garda divisions declined last year with numbers down 6.4 per cent in Waterford with 24 fewer gardaí to leave a total of 350 officers in the county.

The vast border division of Louth/Cavan/Monaghan – a new division formed by the merger of two older ones as part of the operational model being introduced on foot of the recommendation of both the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland and the Garda Inspectorate – saw its Garda numbers fall from 766 to 718 in 2024 – an annual decrease of 6.3 per cent.

Other divisions with significant decreases in Garda numbers were Donegal (-3.9 per cent); Cork City (-3.7 per cent); Mayo/Roscommon/Longford (-3.7 per cent).

Dublin East, which covers areas including Dún Laoghaire, Blackrock, Dundrum and Shankill, was the only Garda division in the capital to experience a sizeable reduction in manpower.

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Garda numbers in Dublin East were down 3.4 per cent, compared to an overall increase of 1.1 per cent across Dublin city and county.

Asked to explain where the overall net increase of 193 gardaí in the size of the force were assigned to last year when overall numbers attached to designated Garda stations were reduced, a Garda spokesperson replied: “For operational reasons, An Garda Síochána does not comment on current or future deployment and allocation of resources.”

The spokesperson said the allocation of gardaí takes a number of factors into consideration including but not limited to population, crime trends, operational strategies and the policing needs of individual areas.

An Garda Síochána said managing the deployment of resources across over 560 stations with competing priorities while also maintaining frontline policing is “a complex process.”

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The spokesperson added: “In addition to visible frontline policing, there are ongoing demands, often driven by political and media commentary for ever increasing speciality in areas such as roads policing, economic crime, drugs and organised crime, cybercrime, sexual crimes and domestic violence.”

He also pointed out that specialist policing units such as Armed Support Units and the Garda National Cyber Crime Bureau were increasingly establishing regional units who were operating full-time in local divisions to support frontline gardaí working in stations around the country.

The spokesperson stressed that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources “under constant review.”

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According to An Garda Síochána, another 450 Garda recruits are currently in training while the force will announce a new recruitment campaign in the first quarter of 2025.

It also noted that there had been an increase in the number of civilian staff working with An Garda Síochána which releases operational gardaí from office-based functions back to frontline policing.

The latest figures show the number of whole-time equivalent civilian staff in the force grew by 246 to 3,501 last year – an annual increase of 7.6 per cent.

The number of Garda Reserves last year fell by 9.1 per cent last year – down 32 to 319 – the lowest level since the volunteer, part-time force was established in 2006 and almost a quarter of the size of its peak of 1,164 in 2013.

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