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

-----that led us into the situation where the Government had to rescue the economy because those 99 were the first new gardaí to attest in over five years. No organisation can expect to flourish if it is not recruiting and bringing in new people. Policing is, of course, ultimately about people. The most important resource which An Garda Síochána has at its disposal is its people. It has therefore been of fundamental importance to me and the Government to restart Garda recruitment. It has been a top priority. Thanks to the budgetary situation the Government has steered Ireland to, I was able to deliver on that objective. Last September, we reopened the Garda College to new recruits for the first time since 2009.

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