Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

-----and vociferously. I do not have precise figures for County Kerry but I can say that since the Garda Training College reopened, having been closed for many years, we have seen an increase in Garda numbers throughout the country, including in County Kerry. I refer to a commitment in the programme for Government to have an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by the year 2021. I was pleased, in the context of last week's budget, to hear my colleague, the Minister for Finance, announce increased funding for the Garda Vote bringing it to the order of €1.7 billion. The extra €110 million in the allocation to An Garda Síochána next year will allow for the recruitment of up to 800 new gardaí from the Garda Training College in Templemore. Without interfering in any way with the work of the Garda Commissioner and his management team, it is fair to hazard a view that many of those new recruits will be stationed in County Kerry.

I do not direct the Garda Commissioner in terms of the deployment of resources. That is exclusively a matter of operation for the Garda Commissioner and his team. However, I acknowledge what Deputy Healy-Rae has said with regard to his constituency in Kerry. I am keen to ensure that the Garda Commissioner and his management team take into consideration the valid points being made, having regard to the challenge presented by crime throughout the country, particularly in the district to which the Deputy refers.

See this speech in context