Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)

The savings of €1.29 million in the Department of Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs was taken out earlier in the year. There was an embargo on people who came off the rural social scheme and were not let on but then were at the end of the year, which is fair enough. That saved over €1 million which was used for the commitment to the Irish language, to put courses in place in the King's Inns and the Higher Education Authority. It was also saved by not paying the Christmas bonus to people on the rural social scheme, which is outrageous. People were depending on that funding this year but will not get it.

What will happen at Templemore where I am told there are no new recruits although many people have retired this year? In a few years' time we will have the problem we had a few years ago when the numbers were down. Gardaí will be taken out of rural areas and put into the cities and rural areas will suffer again. That worries me. I hope the embargo on recruitment to the Garda will be lifted immediately. We should at least keep recruits going into Templemore. Not to have them is bad policy because we will need gardaí and people will continue to retire. We will certainly need these recruits. I hope the Government will make a decision to bring recruits into Templemore.

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