Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I am not saying there are no issues. I have just said that there are issues but we are working to respond to the concerns that gardaí are raising. With a budget of €2.31 billion we are investing directly in them, responding to their health needs and their requirements, making sure that we have more of them to be able to spread the workload, and making sure the changes that are made are efficient and effective and do what they are intended to do.

All of this is being done with the overall intention not only of supporting An Garda Síochána, but also of ensuring we deliver the right service for the public. The objective of An Garda Síochána is to ensure it can deliver the right service and we need to support it in its work. I acknowledge that there has been a difficult period since the Covid-19 pandemic with fewer people coming through the college, garda numbers in certain areas reducing and an industrial relations dispute. However, the members I meet are committed to the work they do. I acknowledge that people leave work for different reasons. We have full employment. Gardaí are highly skilled workers. Many decide to leave for personal reasons and others do not. Where there are challenges, the information we get from exit strategies and exit interviews will be used to make changes where they need to be made.