Mark Ward (Dublin Mid West, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Minister of State mentioned that designation is a matter for the Garda Commissioner, but if the Commissioner does not have the personnel, he cannot move them around.

Rathcoole is a small town at the edge of my constituency, Dublin Mid-West. It has one of the fastest-growing populations in the State. It has a Garda station on Main Street. In 2010, prior to Fine Gael entering Government, there were 28 full-time gardaí in Rathcoole. In 2021, the figure dropped to 18, representing a decrease of 36% under Fine Gael's watch. Census figures indicate that Rathcoole's population grew by 27% from 2011 to 2016. It has increased since 2016. The village has one of the fastest-growing populations in the State. As the population has grown, Garda numbers have not.

The latest figure I have for the number of gardaí needed to keep pace with the population in Rathcoole is 36, not 18. Therefore, the station is at 50% capacity given the growing population, and that needs to be addressed.

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