Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)

I thank Senator Leyden for his remarks regarding the recruitment of members of the Garda. I assure the Senator and Senator Cummins that I was conscious from the outset that if I did not deliver 2,000 additional gardaí before promoting the idea of a volunteer reserve, people would put two and two together and would not get 22. They would know exactly what was happening.