Action needed to address low numbers of community gardaí – Matt Carthy TD
21 March 2025
Sinn Féin spokesperson on Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Matt Carthy TD, has said the Policing Authority Review of Public Order Policing raises important issues in relation to the significant problem of low numbers of community gardaí.
Deputy Carthy said that a reply he received to a parliamentary question showed that there were only 700 community gardaí in the state at the end of 2024, compared to 1,113 at the end of 2011.
Teachta Carthy said:
“Figures which I received from the Minister for Justice this week highlight how few community gardaí there are.
“While there is an overall problem in relation to a lack of gardaí to police our streets, there is a serious problem in relation to the lack of community gardaí.
“There has been a drop of over 400 gardaí since 2011 at a time when the population has increased by almost 720,000. There were only 700 community gardaí in the state at the end of 2024, compared to 1,113 at the end of 2011.
“In the last three years there has been a notable drop, with 33 fewer community gardaí at the end of 2024 compared to at the end of 2022. There has also been a significant drop in the number of community gardaí in specific regions including in Donegal, in Kilkenny/Carlow, in Louth/Cavan Monaghan and in Kildare over that same period.
“The Review of Public Order Policing published by the Policing Authority yesterday highlighted the depleted numbers of Community Gardaí and the impact of this. The report noted that strong community policing numbers are a key influencer on the conditions in which public order policing operates. It also points to the important role of community gardaí in establishing relationships and knowledge of the communities in which they work.
“Minister O’Callaghan, in his reply to me on the numbers of community gardaí, says that community gardaí are at the heart of An Garda Síochána but that is simply not reflected in the actions of government in this area.
“If Minister Jim O’Callaghan is serious about ensuring communities are policed better and that communities are safer there needs to be a plan from the government to deliver significantly more community gardaí.”
