Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Gardaí do a great deal more than providing a basic level of service. In the context of the current numbers in An Garda Síochána, they are providing an efficient and effective service which includes not just crime investigation but also crime prevention. If that was not the case we would not have seen a drop of over 20,000 in the number of offences that were recorded as being committed in the preceding 12 months. Rather than playing political games with Garda numbers in this House, it would be refreshing for the Deputy to acknowledge the substantial successes of the Garda Síochána, as well as the success of the more targeted approach that has been adopted in the past two or three years. Smart policing, which has been derided by the Opposition, has also brought about successes. It involves using intelligence proactively not only for crime investigation but also for crime prevention.

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