Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

——that this compares with an 18% increase of the strength of the force nationally. In addition, groups such as the national drugs unit, the Garda National Immigration Bureau and other national units that support local gardaí have also been strengthened. Second, as the Deputy has been operating with two particular parties in mind, he should know that when we came to office in 1997, we discovered that the number of gardaí in the force had fallen during the lifetime of the rainbow Government.

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