Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

The Taoiseach stated there were not enough gardaí in Dublin to combat the violence we saw on Sandwith Street. The Minister may recollect he stated funding was in place to recruit an additional 1,000 members, but that is incorrect. If the Taoiseach checked, he would see that only 288 people entered Templemore this year. He should do the maths on that. The Garda Representative Association, GRA, has stated that numbers are decreasing and members of the Garda are resigning. Many feel burnt out, demoralised and lacking in support. Other gardaí are reported as saying the Taoiseach's remarks demonstrated a lack of knowledge and that he was trying to deflect from the housing issue. The Taoiseach and members of the Garda are at odds. Does the Minister concede he will miss his recruitment target and after a decade of Fine Gael Ministers responsible for justice, will he put a plan in place to bring Garda numbers to safe levels for communities, gardaí and vulnerable people?

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