Brendan Howlin (Wexford, Labour) | Oireachtas source

We had a debate on housing just before these questions. The simple message is that if the strategy is not working, as it patently is not in terms of Garda recruitment, one has to do something different. The Minister’s ambition was to have 1,000 additional gardaí trained this year. We are halfway through the year and she tells us we have 370 in training. Her target is not going to be reached. That is a simple fact. We will have a further decline.

My colleague, Mr. Peter Horgan, tells me that Garda numbers in Cork city are down 145 since 2020 out of a total strength of 723. To mention some popular tourist areas in my own constituency, which the Minister of State would know, there is now one garda in Courtown where there used to be four and four in Bunclody where there used to be eight. This is a pattern across the country. It is not sustainable as our population increases. What new approach is the Minister going to take to stop the haemorrhaging of gardaí and ensure they are replaced?

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