1040. Deputy Verona Murphy asked the Minister for Justice the number of Garda members assigned to roads policing units; if her Department will update the website with publication of figures for the month of June 2024, by Garda division; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [33777/24]

Helen McEntee, Minister for Justice: Road safety is a shared responsibility, and while the whole of Government response is led by the Department of Transport, it is one which is taken very seriously across Government. We have all been shocked by the loss of life on our roads, and concerned by the worrying increase in road fatalities after many years of progress in making our roads safer.

I continue to engage with colleagues across Government to ensure that every effort is made to increase safety on our roads.

Road traffic laws are enforced by Gardaí assigned to Roads Policing and as part of the day-to-day duties of uniformed Gardaí nationwide. This includes a programme of high-visibility road safety and enforcement operations carried out in partnership with other state agencies. Following the Commissioner’s direction, uniform Garda members are now deployed on high visibility roads policing operations, of 30 minutes duration, in each tour of duty.

It is significant that up to 25% of all roads enforcement is undertaken by regular units and 75% of drug/drink driving checks are carried out by regular units.

Every frontline Garda member now has a mobility device, which is essentially a mobile phone that allows them to access a number of specialised Garda apps at the roadside. These include the ability to issue a Fixed Charge Notice, to check a vehicle's insurance status, if a vehicle is taxed and whether a driver is disqualified. These tasks can now be done within moments, without the need to return to the station making much better use of their time. The Commissioner also stated his aim is to have an additional 100 static road safety cameras in place by the end of next year.

I am advised that as of 30 June 2024 there were 622 Roads Policing Gardaí assigned across all Divisions. Funding provided by the Government under Budget 2024 allows for the recruitment of new Gardaí, which will increase the number of frontline Gardaí available to the Garda Commissioner to allocate as he deems appropriate. It is expected that it will soon be possible to allocate more members to the Roads Policing units.

In the interest of transparency, information in relation to the allocation of Roads Policing by Division is publicly available and can be found at the following link. I can also advise the Deputy that I have received the most recent figures for June from An Garda Síochána which have been published on the website:

www.gov.ie/en/publication/bd777-an-garda-siochana-your-police-service-some-facts-and-figures/

https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2024-09-09/1040/#pq_1040

1069. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Justice the number of Gardaí specifically allocated to the drugs unit in the Cavan Monaghan Garda division; where this unit is based at present; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [34105/24]

Helen McEntee, Minister for Justice: As the Deputy is aware from my previous answer to this question on 23 July 2024, tackling serious and organised crime is a key priority for me as Minister for Justice. I am committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to ensure communities around Ireland are safe and feel safe.

The unprecedented allocation of over €2.35 billion for 2024 to An Garda Síochána demonstrates the Government's commitment to ensuring An Garda Síochána has provision for the equipment, technology, facilities, fleet and personnel it needs to carry out its vital policing work. This funding has enabled the Garda Commissioner to assign extra resources to the specialist units involved in tackling organised crime.

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.

However, to be of assistance I sought the information requested by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána and have been advised that this information cannot be shared under security grounds.

I am informed that it is the experience of the Garda National Drugs & Organised Crime Bureau (GNDOCB), that such information is invaluable to local drug trafficking networks and can at times be taken into account when active in their respective criminal enterprises.

I am also informed by the Garda authorities that this information can facilitate the identification of all officers deployed full time on such duties, and in turn the work patterns of such officers.

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