Aodhán Ó Ríordáin (Dublin Bay North, Labour) | Oireachtas source

What gardaí are telling me is that it is not the job it used to be and that it is harder to do the job. There are people doing it now who want to leave and clearly the statistics back up what I am saying. There are also people who, in previous generations, would have wanted to enter the profession but do not want to do so now. We can see that in the difficulties we have had with recruitment. I understand the Garda Commissioner suggested 18,000 gardaí are needed to effectively police the State because of the population increase, although I am open to correction on that.

I have suggested previously, including to the Minister of Education, that the Government should consider a Dublin allowance for certain public sector workers in the city and county who are particularly hurt by the cost-of-living issues that are a feature of Dublin. It would be modelled on the London allowance which has been in place for 100 years. Housing and the cost of accommodation are among the reasons we cannot get teachers and gardaí in Dublin. This Minister for Justice might consider that. The Minister for Education has said she is considering it.

See this speech in context