Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I stress that there has been a great amount of focus and priority placed on not only the Drogheda area, but an area extending into east Meath. Through the Vivian Guerin report, there has been a great amount of investment in our communities and supporting the Garda across Louth and even into the east Meath area. The Garda Commissioner has visited a number of stations in the area the Deputy has mentioned and there are plans afoot to make sure that we have a 24-hour response and the services that people require. However, I do not have dates for any changes or information on when or where resources are going to be put in place. That is a matter for the Garda Commissioner but I assure the Deputy that this Government and I are absolutely committed to increasing the Garda workforce, including both Garda members and staff. Some 11,000 people applied to a recruitment campaign and the interviews, fitness tests and everything else that needs to happen to get those candidates through Templemore and into places like east Meath, Drogheda and all of the surrounding areas are under way.

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