Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)

I do not have those figures in respect of each quarter but somewhere in the region of 200 or 250 gardaí, the same number as have come through until recently, have continued to flow through the system until the end of the year. A smaller intake, 100 per quarter, was taken on over the past two quarters. In 2010 the number of attested gardaí qualifying will be reduced. Regarding the figure of 14,900, we estimate this to be the figure by the end of 2009. Much depends on retirements. This Government has been assiduous in increasing the levels of gardaí over the past number of years. We will do our best to keep the numbers as high as we can.

See this speech in context