Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The Garda budget is of the order of €1.6 billion. Out of that, less than €100 million is the bill for the overtime budget. The Garda Commissioner said in his initial public comment three weeks ago that he was going to look at the Garda budget. That is what he is doing. I keep in regular contact with him and with the Garda representative associations. I look forward to completing the ongoing ambitious programme for recruitment in An Garda Síochána. With the reopening of the Garda training college in Templemore, which was closed when Fianna Fáil was in office, I expect that by the end of this year we will have 500 new, ambitious, energetic and fully trained gardaí on our streets. The Garda budget is a matter primarily for the Garda Commissioner himself.

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