Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

Not surprisingly, I do not have any evidence to assist Deputy Murphy along the lines of his plea. However, the Government is determined to ensure Garda recruitment continues apace. At the end of last year, we had succeeded in reaching our target of 13,500 gardaí. By the end of this year, that figure will have risen to 14,000 gardaí, many of whom will have been assigned to County Roscommon. I am happy to engage bilaterally with the Deputy on the point he raised about the distribution of gardaí, which is, of course, a matter for the Commissioner in the first instance.

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