Gerry Adams (Louth, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

It is clear that the Government intends to continue in this term exactly as it did in the last. Fianna Fáil stands indicted for giving the Government an opportunity to do this once again. Despite protestations to the contrary the Government clearly intends to ignore the real life crises faced by many people, just as it did before. The Government's responses to the crisis in our health services and the housing crisis, to deficiencies in An Garda Síochána, to the NAMA scandal and to the plight of rural Ireland are exactly the same as they were for the last five years. First of all the Government denies there is a problem and then it announces half measures wrapped up in fine rhetoric. Yesterday’s announcement of measures to tackle organised crime is a good example. These modest measures, while welcome, do not go far enough. Following the Regency Hotel murder, the Government line was that Garda resources were not an issue when it comes to tackling organised crime. The task force announced yesterday would be welcome if it meant additional and extra resources, but does it? In north inner city Dublin there are 140 less gardaí than in 2010. Unless there is an increase in Garda numbers this task force will be made up of gardaí brought off the front line elsewhere. This lack of resources is not an accident and is not unique to Dublin. It is an issue right across the State. It is a direct result of the policies of this Government and of Fianna Fáil before it and needs to be totally reversed. Will the Taoiseach indicate to the Dáil when the new measures announced will be in place and will there be additional gardaí and funding?

See this speech in context