Dublin West and Justice

Garda Numbers:

• There number of Gardai stationed in the Dublin Division has jumped by a third since 1997 to over 4, 200 today.

Garda Deployment[1]:

Garda Youth Diversion Projects

• Garda Youth Diversion Projects are local community based activities which work with children. These projects aim to help children move away from behaving in a way that might get them or their friends into trouble with the law. They can help children develop their sense of community and their social skills through different activities.
• The projects offer opportunities for education, employment training, sport, art, music and other activities. Most projects operate outside of school hours. However, in areas with a high proportion of early school-leavers, activities may also be planned during the daytime.
• The projects seek to encourage a better quality of life for everyone in the community and to support good relations between the Gardaí and the community.
• GYDPs were first introduced in 1991 and there are currently 100 GYDPs operating throughout the country.
• 12 million euro has been allocated for the one hundred GYDPs for 2010. This includes nearly four million euro under an ESF-supported employability programme. The number of project participants is expected to be in excess of 4,500 young persons.
• There is one GYDP in Dublin West - ORB, Blanchardstown