18 Gardaí are currently assigned to units investigating instances of sexual and domestic crime in the Shannonside region.
That's according to new information revealed by Justice Minister Helen McEntee following questioning by Cavan Monaghan TD Pauline Tully.
Divisional Protective Services Units are responsible for the investigation of specialised crime types, including sexual crime, human trafficking, child and domestic abuse.
Gardaí in DPS units receive specialised training in dealing with survivors of abuse to improve their experiences engaging with Gardaí.
All three local Garda Divisions share the same level of staffing allocation within their respective DPSUs.
Roscommon Longford Divisional Protective Services Unit has 6 Gardaí assigned to it.
These include one Detective Sergeant and 5 Detective Garda in stations across the region.
The number and rank breakdown of DPS Units in both Sligo/Leitrim and Westmeath Garda Divisions are the same, with 6 Gardaí a piece assigned in each division.
The Dublin Metropolitan Region North Garda Division has the highest allocation of Gardaí to the units, with 23 assigned.
Overall there are 332 garda of various ranks working in Divisional Protective Services Units nationwide, the majority of which are Detective Gardaí.
