Kildare/Carlow Merge In New Garda Division Following Changes Made To Operating Model

Three -county divisions have been reconfigured under the new model

Kildare/Carlow will now make up a new division under changes made to the Garda Operating Model which is being introduced under the Government’s policing reform programme.

Following a review requested by the Garda Commissioner and conducted by an Assistant Commissioner, the Garda Senior Leadership Team has decided to re-configure the composition of certain three-county Divisions under the Garda Operating Model.

The three-county Divisions reviewed were:

- Laois/Offaly/Kildare
- Waterford/Kilkenny/Carlow
- Donegal/Sligo/Leitrim

Under the revised Divisional structures, the Divisions will be:

- Waterford/Kilkenny
- Kildare/Carlow
- Laois/Offaly
- Sligo/Leitrim
- Donegal

The review included leadership interviews, and consultation with internal and external stakeholders.

It also took into account the population and demographic changes in the country since the development of the original Operating Model structure in 2018, as well as projected population and demographic trends in the coming years.

It looked at the number of incidents in the relevant Divisions, along with their operational and community needs. Staffing and accommodation were also factored into the review.

A Policing Service For Our Future, which is based on recommendations from the Commission on the Future of Policing in Ireland.

The implementation of the Garda Operating Model, which was launched in 2019, was severely impacted by the COVID pandemic.

Under the Operating Model, Garda Divisions are headed by a Divisional Chief Superintendent, who oversee four newly defined functional areas: Business Services; Performance and Assurance; Crime; and Community Engagement. Each of these functional areas is led by a Superintendent, with the exception of Business Services, which is led by an Assistant Principal Officer.

According to a Garda spokesperson, "The revised Divisional structures will most effectively deliver the benefits of the Operating Model by supporting a more balanced level of service demand across the Divisions. It will also increase the capacity of Divisional Management teams allowing for effective service provision, and greater oversight and governance.

"The next phase of the review will see a further feasibility and detailed impact assessment completed to determine the timeline for deployment of the revised Divisional structures.

"There will be no impact on our service to the public in the relevant Divisions during the transition to the revised Divisional Model."