Kathleen Lynch (Cork North Central, Labour) | Oireachtas source

I sympathise with the Deputy and Fr. O'Brien who, as correctly pointed out by the Deputy, is a most forgiving man. While I am not certain that forgiveness will do in this instance, it would be nice if we could all adopt that attitude.

On recruitment, like all other Departments, the Department of Justice and Equality, owing to the gap between what we take in in taxation and what we spend and, as a result of our being in a bail-out programme, our not being in full control of resources, is required to make substantial savings year on year. There are, therefore, no immediate plans to engage in further recruitment to the Garda Síochána. However, the Government is confident that in the event of our exiting the bail-out programme at the end of this year and once again being in full control of resources, should further gardaí be required as a result of retirements or personnel leaving the force to do other things, this issue will be reconsidered.

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