Seán Ó Fearghaíl (Kildare South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I will resist becoming involved in what our plans were because the Minister is now responsible for implementing his plans. I welcome the fact that, perhaps for the first time, he has committed himself to a minimum number of 13,000 members in the Garda Síochána. That certainly is welcome but it poses a problem for the Minister, for us and more importantly for the public. In the interim - between the admission of these people to the Garda training college and their eventual qualification to function as full-time gardaí - what plans does the Minister have to bridge the gap and ensure that the numbers are maintained at 13,000 and that they will not fall below that? The Garda Commissioner has made it clear that in order to provide basic levels of Garda service, the figure of 13,000 is an absolute requirement.

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