James Browne (Wexford, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

Again I thank the Deputy for raising this important matter of the number of gardaí. There is a significant increase in the number of Garda trainees going through Templemore to address the challenge around Garda numbers. On rural community safety, we have the rural safety forum, which has established the rural safety plan, published in 2022, which we are now working to update. It is an extensive forum with members from right across rural communities. Only yesterday I met Alice Doyle, deputy president of the IFA, and Assistant Commissioner Paula Hilman, to see how we can take the rural safety forum to the next level to ensure the issues around safety in rural Ireland are being addressed. I do agree that visibility is crucial. That is why we are increasing the number of gardaí being recruited.

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