An Garda Síochána has announced the first five divisions that will fall under its new operating model.

These will be Galway, Cork city, Dublin South Central, Meath/Westmeath and Limerick.

Gardaí say these areas were chosen for a number of reasons.

It says Cork city, Dublin South Central and Galway had run pilots of the local policing model - while Limerick is a large division that is already "at the desired scale" for the new model.

It adds that the merger of Meath/Westmeath will allow the model to be used to provide a wider range of policing services to communities in the area.

However before changes are made at a divisional level, change impact assessments will be carried out at a local level to see what needs to be done.

The first major changes came into effect on Monday, October 7th with the reduction in the Garda regions from six to four.

An Garda Síochána has previously said the introduction of the model at divisional level will be done on phased basis.

Source: An Garda Síochána

Commissioner Drew Harris has also said that border divisions will remain unchanged until there is clarity on Brexit.

Commissioner Harris said: "These changes will see us deliver a more responsive, more efficient and better service to local communities.

"It will mean increased numbers of Gardaí working on the frontline, better investigations of crimes against the vulnerable such as sexual crime, and community policing teams dedicated to working with communities to identify and tackle problem crimes in their area.

"The quicker we can make these changes at divisional level, the quicker we can deliver these improvements to communities."

Under the new mode divisions will increase in size and be operationally autonomous.

They will be typically made up of around 600 to 800 personnel to ensure each division "has the resources and skills to deliver a wider range of community policing and specialist services based on the demand in their area."

There will be better investigative services locally - such as protective services, economic crime and cyber crime.

And regions and divisions will have greater control over how policing is delivered.

An Garda Síochána said that "every effort will be made to minimise disruption to personnel."

It is hoped the changes will see some 1,800 more Gardaí on the front-line by 2021.