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

The Garda Commissioner is responsible for recruitment but the Minister for Justice keeps in regular contact with him about this important matter. Funding has been provided for 1,000 new Garda recruits this year. That remains our target for the year.

We are confident that the number of new recruits this year will exceed the number of retirements and resignations. In addition, we are hiring Garda staff to free up gardaí to do Garda work. I saw that in operation in Clonmel only a few weeks ago. I am very pleased that we now have the go-ahead for the new station there too.

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