166. Deputy Catherine Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí, by rank, attached to each divisional drugs unit as of 11 May 2023, in tabular form. [23428/23] 

Simon Harris, Minister for Justice: As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, as well as for decisions on the deployment of personnel among the various Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no role in these matters. 

I am, however, assured that Garda management keeps the distribution of resources under continual review, in the context of crime trends and policing priorities. 

I can 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 over €2 billion.  

I am advised by the Garda authorities that at the end of April 2023, the latest date for which figures are available, there were 332 Garda members assigned to Divisional Drugs Units nationwide. This represents an increase of almost 7% since end December 2022 when there were 311 Garda members assigned to these units. 

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 the end of April 2023. 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/