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

I take the point the Deputy makes. The figures for 2007 to 2015 show that 656 gardaí were assigned to the Cork city division in 2007 and 645 in 2016. This was inevitable because Templemore, as the Deputy knows, was closed. Now that we have begun to recruit again, ten extra gardaí have been assigned to the Cork division. In the course of next year, there will be four intakes of 200 trainee gardaí. These will take place in February, May, August and November. I have no doubt that the needs of the Cork city division will be considered in the allocation of gardaí. The Deputy is absolutely right that we must make these decisions. The Garda Commissioner makes them. They must be based on an operational perspective and linked to particular patterns of crime and the relevant demands, particularly in urban areas.

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