Darren O'Rourke (Meath East, Sinn Fein) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister. I am not looking for a particular advantage for County Meath. What I am looking for is fairness and equity. It has been confirmed again this morning that County Meath has the lowest number of gardaí per head of population. That is a longstanding issue. I will ask the Minister about the rationale as to how we ended up in that position. It is fair to say that the number of gardaí in County Meath, which is not unique in this regard, has decreased under the tenure of this Government. In 2020, when this Government came into office, there were 335 sworn gardaí in County Meath. There are now 318. That has a real impact. Notwithstanding the Minister’s point in regard to figures, there is decreased visibility of gardaí in communities. There is certainly a sense of an increase in antisocial behaviour. Has the Minister targets for County Meath and elsewhere? What is the target in regard to recruitment over the period ahead? When will we see these gardaí in County Meath?

See this speech in context