Niamh Smyth
Ceist:
287. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí who are out sick at present; the division they are in; if they are on long-term sick leave; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43213/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51
I refer to Parliamentary Questions No. 287 and 288 of the 5 October 2023 where you sought: “To ask the Minister for Justice the number of Gardaí that are out sick at present; the division they are in; if they are on long term sick leave; and if she will make a statement on the matter.” and,
“To ask the Minister for Justice the number of Gardaí that are on career breaks at present; what division they are on leave from; when they are due back, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter.”
As you will recall, I sought the information you requested from the Garda authorities and undertook to contact you again once the information was to hand.
As you will also appreciate, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for all HR matters relating to personnel within An Garda Síochána, including management of sick leave and the approval of career breaks. As Minister, I have no role in these independent functions.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that the table below sets out the number of Garda members who are recorded as being on sick leave on the 4 October 2023.
Please note that any figures under 10 have been denoted as * and that Long term sick leave is defined as an absence greater than 28 days.
Division
|
Number of Garda Members currently absent on sick leave as of 04.10.2023
|
Number of Garda Members current absent on long term sick leave as of 04.10.2023
|
Cavan/Monaghan
|
29
|
15
|
Clare/Tipperary
|
65
|
43
|
Commissioners Office
|
*
|
*
|
Cork City
|
32
|
14
|
Cork North
|
28
|
20
|
Cork West
|
16
|
13
|
D.M.R. Eastern
|
15
|
*
|
D.M.R. North Central
|
30
|
17
|
D.M.R. Northern
|
35
|
19
|
D.M.R. South Central
|
34
|
19
|
D.M.R. Southern
|
21
|
*
|
D.M.R. Western
|
56
|
35
|
DMR Traffic Division
|
*
|
*
|
Donegal
|
40
|
27
|
G.N.C.C.B.
|
*
|
*
|
G.N.D.O.C.B.
|
*
|
*
|
G.N.I.B.
|
*
|
*
|
G.N.P.S.B.
|
*
|
*
|
G.N.T.B.
|
*
|
*
|
Galway
|
32
|
19
|
Garda National Technical Bureau
|
*
|
*
|
Human Resource Mgmt.
|
*
|
*
|
Information Technology
|
*
|
*
|
Kerry
|
29
|
20
|
Kildare
|
26
|
18
|
Kilkenny/Carlow
|
20
|
*
|
Laois/Offaly
|
27
|
13
|
Legal Affairs
|
*
|
*
|
Liaison & Protection
|
*
|
*
|
Limerick
|
44
|
30
|
Louth
|
29
|
17
|
Mayo/Roscommon/Longford
|
71
|
38
|
Meath
|
22
|
16
|
Operational Support Unit
|
*
|
*
|
S.T.O.C.
|
*
|
*
|
Security & Intelligence
|
*
|
*
|
Sligo/Leitrim
|
24
|
13
|
Special Detective Unit
|
*
|
*
|
Training & Development
|
15
|
*
|
Waterford
|
23
|
12
|
Westmeath
|
24
|
12
|
Wexford
|
20
|
12
|
Wicklow
|
15
|
*
|
Grand Total
|
868
|
508
|
I am advised that Garda Members may avail of special leave without pay in the form of a career break to a maximum duration of 5 years during their career. Members may apply for a career break for 12 months at a time and can renew their Career Break to a maximum of 5 years. The rules for taking Career breaks are set out in section 12:33 of the Garda code and a career break can be taken for the following reasons:
• Further education.
• Domestic responsibilities.
• Child minding.
• Foreign Travel
While on career break, the member may not, at any time, exercise or attempt to exercise any statutory or common law powers that may be vested in them as a member of An Garda Síochána.
The table below sets out the number of Garda members who are currently on a Career break by Region. I have been advised that it is not possible to provide this information in the format requested by Deputy for Data protection reasons.
Region
|
Number
|
DMR
|
15
|
East
|
10
|
Other Regions
|
19
|
Total
|
44
|
Niamh Smyth
Ceist:
288. Deputy Niamh Smyth asked the Minister for Justice the number of gardaí that are on career breaks at present; what division they are on leave from; when they are due back, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [43215/23]
Amharc ar fhreagra
I propose to take Questions Nos. 287 and 288 together.
The information requested by the Deputy is being collated and I will contact the Deputy directly once the information is available.
Question No. 288 answered with Question No. 287.