Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Deputy asked about a dedicated public order unit in Dublin city centre. That unit is already in place and is put into operation when the need arises. The members of the unit are highly skilled and trained to deal with public order incidents of all gravity, up to and including riots, and are located throughout the Dublin metropolitan region. A dedicated public order patrol van is deployed from Pearse Street and Bridewell Garda stations every Friday and Saturday night to deal with public order issues in the city centre.

As I said, we now have 300 extra Garda recruits, the first such intake since 2008. I will monitor Garda staffing levels during 2015 with a view to agreeing further intakes to the Garda College as required. The Deputy mentioned the Garda Inspectorate report. That report recommended a number of initiatives in regard to further civilianisation, which will free up additional gardaí. Part and parcel of getting the numbers right is reform in the range of areas to which the Garda Inspectorate referred in its lengthy 500-page document. These include short, medium and longer-term actions to deliver a police force that is fit for the 21st century.

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