Leo Varadkar (Dublin West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

As the Deputy will be aware, the resourcing and organisation of the Garda are a matter for the Garda Commissioner. When he was appointed the Minister for Justice and Equality, Deputy Flanagan, and I gave him a commitment that we would support him in making the changes to the organisation of the Garda force he felt were necessary. We fully support him in the work he is doing. The plan he has is about making sure there are more resources on the front line, fewer chiefs but many more policemen and policewomen on the ground. There will be an extra 2,000 on the front line over the course of the next two years as a result of the reforms he is making, and because he is taking out management layers and duplication. I hope everyone in the House will support the reforms which he is driving through.

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