Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

The Government is investing in An Garda Síochána and will invest in the force. The Deputy knows well that the Covid-19 pandemic interrupted the recruitment processes. We all know this. This was a significant challenge in terms of Templemore and so forth, but this aspect has recovered and is recovering. The numbers coming into the college now are increasing, although, because we have full employment in the economy, it has been a challenging time for all State services in terms of recruitment. This has been the case not just for the Garda but also for the Naval Service, the Army and the Air Corps, and more generally across all uniformed services.

We know this. The population is increasing, the number of people coming in to work in Ireland from the European Union is increasing and the number of work permits is increasing. All of this is evidence of and a challenge concerning having got to a position of full employment in an economy that, post-Covid-19, has proven to be robust. We will invest, and continue to invest in, resourcing An Garda Síochána, on the equipment front and in terms of facilities and personnel. It is important that we do this and we are committed to doing it. I agree with the Deputy that the industrial relations machinery is the basis and the mechanism to resolve the existing issues around the roster.

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