Ryan O'Meara (Tipperary North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I congratulate the Minister on his appointment and wish him the best of luck in the years ahead. I look forward to working with him on a number of issues, whether crime, justice or policing.

Templemore Garda College was established in 1964 in my constituency by a Fianna Fáil Government. It has a proud history as an institution of this State in training our bravest and brightest to fight on the front lines. It is not only a source of national pride but also one of local pride in north Tipperary. The Garda College is an integral part of the local economy of Templemore and the surrounding areas. I welcome the fact the programme for Government commits to training 5,000 gardaí over the course of the Government, plus Garda staff. That is an ambition but it is an absolutely necessary one. I also welcome the fact we will continue to support the Garda Training College in Templemore to reform the Garda recruitment and training processes, to increase capacity and to widen the talent pool, which will include expanding capacity at Templemore Garda Training College. I welcome that commitment because the depot in Templemore needs that investment. It is bursting at the seams at the moment, for the first time in a long time, and that is a positive thing. We need more facilities, spaces, accommodation and car parking.

The programme for Government also commits to considering allowing Garda trainees to undergo part of their training courses in regional base universities or technical universities, examining the introduction of an accelerated graduate entry programme for An Garda Síochána and increasing the Garda training allowance. If this gets more gardaí into the force and more gardaí onto our streets and roads and into our rural areas, I welcome it, but it should not and must not take from the vital overall provision of training the depot in Templemore provides. Templemore has been at the centre of Garda training in this country for 60 years. It should and must remain so for another 60 years and far beyond that. Investment to improve the capacity, infrastructure and facilities in Templemore is required and is something we should act on with a sense of determination and ambition to deliver. It is welcome that the Minister will be in Templemore this Friday for a passing-out ceremony. I look forward to welcoming him to north Tipperary and the depot in Templemore.

On rural Garda numbers, I might give the case of Cloughjordan, where a spate of robberies recently took place. In one case, gardaí had to come from Birr, which seems completely unacceptable. I know we have committed to training 5,000 gardaí and the issues in Dublin are vital at the moment, as I see myself when I am in the city weekly, but rural gardaí and rural Garda numbers must remain a priority.

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