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

The country went through a disastrous period in terms of the economy and recruitment to Templemore was stopped by the previous Government. We have reopened Templemore but one cannot magic up figures overnight. One has to recruit and to invest. We are making sure recruits are going through Templemore now and that will be accelerated with a commitment in the programme for Government for 15,000 recruits. In any area of the country, if one stops recruitment, there will be nobody to replace people who retire and there will be a decrease in numbers but we are now seeing an increase and that will be welcomed by everybody in this House. We can do that because we have an improved economic situation and a more stable economy so that we can invest in the area of justice.

When I was Minister with responsibility for children we cut budgets, unfortunately, but there has been a complete turnaround in that respect with further investment in public services. In the upcoming budget, we will do the same by investing more in services again. That will mean areas like the north inner city, and other areas the Deputy's colleagues have been discussing tonight, will get more resources and will see an improvement in services. We have been able to make investments not just in people but in resources, such as more than €200 million in IT, and that will make sure the problems in the north inner city, about which the Deputy has talked tonight, can be targeted with more resources.

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