Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The best way we can keep our gardaí safe is to pass laws in this House that help ensure they have the legal powers to keep them safe. When they take criminals off the street there should be adequate sentencing in place and we should give them the technology and resources they require. Front-line gardaí are asking us to provide them with body cameras to keep them safe. They have been asking for a long time and we need to get on and heed their request. I know the Deputy and I agree on this matter.

To be very clear, the other best way to help keep our gardaí safe, and keep them in the force, is by giving them more colleagues and increasing Garda numbers. Our aim and the aim of the Garda Commissioner are unified with regard to having at least 15,000 gardaí and at least 4,000 Garda staff, or a total workforce of 19,000 people. That is where we want to get to. We will help get there by freeing up people from back office duties into front-line policing because of civilianisation. Since 2015, over 880 Garda members have been freed up from back office desk jobs and have gone back into front-line policing. I again refer to the Garda culture audit from 2022 because that is direct feedback from front-line gardaí on how they view their jobs and the organisation.

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