Simon Coveney (Cork South Central, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I answered quite a detailed question on Garda resources earlier, when Deputy Calleary raised the issues in Longford and Drogheda. The Government is providing funds to raise the number of gardaí to 15,000, which will give the Commissioner a lot more human resources to allocate to the kinds of challenges the Deputy raises. That, combined with the reforms that are under way in regard to policing, particularly community policing and civilianisation of many Garda stations, will ensure we can get trained gardaí out and into the community to increase the Garda presence. All of that is under way and I hope we will be able to make an impact in places like Carrick-on-Suir and elsewhere.

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