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

I want to say once again that the Government supports the Garda and the essential work it does in keeping our communities safe and in keeping us safe. The Garda has a budget of more than €2 billion this year, the highest ever, being invested in pay, equipment and buildings. We anticipate between 700 and 800 new recruits this year in addition to 400 Garda staff.

We also understand how important the issue of rosters is. It is important to the public because citizens need to know that the gardaí are there when they need them. It is also important for the gardaí themselves in terms of work-life balance. That is essential in recruiting and retaining gardaí. The Garda Commissioner and the four staff associations all agree that a new roster is needed to fit the modern workforce and provide high-visibility policing and that is welcome. It is not sustainable that we continue with the roster that was relevant during Covid when the country was in and out of lockdown, nor does going back to the Westmanstown roster fit the needs of the Garda Síochána of today. As the Minister for Justice, Deputy McEntee, said, the only way to resolve these differences is through talking and engagement. I am glad that a series of meetings is happening this week.

The Government remains committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to fight crime and to keep us safe. I take the point the Deputy has made about the training allowance. Many gardaí trainees going into Templemore are older than they would have been in the past and often have qualifications already. When they go to Templemore, they can be down considerably in their income during that period, all the while having rent or mortgages to pay. I am aware the Ministers for Justice and Public Expenditure, National Development Plan Delivery and Reform are working on that at the moment.

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