866. Deputy Thomas Gould asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí employed in each of the divisional drugs units respectively in each of the years 2015 to date in 2022, in tabular form. [54831/22]

Helen McEntee Minister for Justice: The Garda Commissioner is operationally responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, which includes decisions on the deployment of personnel among the various Garda Divisions. I am assured that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review. I am advised that this is considered in the context of crime trends and policing priorities, to ensure the optimum use of these resources. The Deputy will appreciated that, as Minister, I have no role in such matters.

I can however assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to ensuring An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to deliver a modern, fit-for-purpose, policing service, with the unprecedented allocation provided in Budget 2023 of €2.14 billion. 

The table below which has been provided to me by the Garda authorities sets out the total number of Garda members assigned to each Divisional Drugs unit at end December 2015 up to end December 2021 and at 30 September 2022, the latest date for which figures are available.

Please note that this information is based upon operational data which has been provided by An Garda Síochána and may be liable to change.

For the Deputy's information, detailed statistics on Garda workforce numbers are published on my Department's website and can be accessed using the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/bd777-an-garda-siochana-your-police-service-some-facts-and-figures/