Brendan Smith (Cavan-Monaghan, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

As the Taoiseach knows, Louth-Cavan-Monaghan Garda Division has a long land Border with the neighbouring jurisdiction and this creates additional and unique policing demands on the gardaí in our area. For a number of years, I have continually expressed my concerns that, with resignations and retirements, we are not getting nearly enough of the new Garda recruits into our division. The inadequate allocation of Garda personnel must be addressed. I welcome the recent re-establishment of the Cavan-Monaghan Garda drugs unit. Again, that unit's demanding role needs to be supplemented by more gardaí. The scourge of drugs is causing desperate problems for individual families and communities in every parish. Our Garda division needs an adequate allocation of Garda personnel to ensure day-to-day policing needs in our communities are met, while also taking into account the absolute need to have appropriate mobile patrols and other policing measures to deal effectively with criminality that occurs on a cross-Border basis and ensure the laws of our State are not flouted and abused.

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