Mary Lou McDonald (Dublin Central, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

A report published in the Irish Independentpresents in very stark terms the recruitment and retention crisis in An Garda Síochána. One in four Garda stations has seen a drop in staff, and 42 stations have no gardaí permanently assigned to them. In my constituency of Dublin Central we have lost 30 gardaí in the past year. The truth is that the Taoiseach's Government has overseen a significant depletion in Garda numbers over the decade it has been in power. When it comes to recruitment, we have another case of the Government setting big targets and falling very short on delivery. There simply are not enough gardaí to adequately police some areas, despite the very best efforts of those working on the front line. This creates real worry for people that their communities are not safe and are not protected from crime. How will the Government now respond to this crisis and ensure that An Garda Síochána is staffed to the required level?

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