Seán Fleming (Laois-Offaly, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I accept in good faith the list the Minister will send me and he can expect a response from me once I have seen it. Inevitably, I will concentrate on critical areas in which requests for staff were not approved. While I welcome the recruitment of 300 gardaí, they are not sufficient. We have all seen the need for additional gardaí and the reduction in the number of gardaí on the streets. If it is of any assistance to An Garda Síochána, I support a call for further gardaí to be recruited. I am concerned about the number of gardaí in drug squads being reduced in certain areas. I am also concerned about the system of penalty points, some of which are issued by gardaí and others through the use of GoSafe cameras, as there is a need for greater concentration on road safety in some areas. I am also concerned about fire services throughout the country. I am most concerned, however, about front-line services and have mentioned several areas in the health and education sectors. I look forward to going through the list during the course of the day and the Minister will hear from me.

See this speech in context