Seán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I support the Minister, Deputy Shatter, who is one of the best and most reforming Ministers the Department has ever seen. He has a strong record of enacting positive legislation and reform. I commend his recruitment campaign for the Garda Síochána. Gardaí will enter Templemore this year for the first time since 2009 when the moratorium was implemented under the last Government. Garda numbers will be maintained at 13,000. I commend the Minister for the extra funding he secured for the Department of Justice and Equality over the Fianna Fáil plan. In 2012, he secured an extra €118 million, in 2013 and extra €154 million and in 2014 an extra €160 million. We have seen a reduction in crime over the term of the Government of 16% including a 10% reduction in homicides, a 14% reduction in sexual offences, a 19% reduction in attempts and threats to murder and a 37% reduction in dangerous acts. I could go on. I strongly support the Minister.

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