Victor Boyhan (Independent) | Oireachtas source

I second the amendment to have the Minister for Justice and Equality brought here. I also wish to discuss the policing issue. It will affect many major urban centres, particularly Dublin. Gardaí went home yesterday distraught, annoyed and frustrated at the fact that their work regarding the security of the State and its citizens would be compromised.

Garda sources have told me that assistant commissioners around the country were told that their budgets for all policing would be cut. The Minister needs to attend the House today. I will support any move to bring him in, as these cuts have been greeted with shock by rank-and-file gardaí. This is an important issue. We need to know who sanctioned these cuts.

Last week, a colleague of mine who owns a jewellery shop in Dún Laoghaire was beaten over the head by an armed man who had already had his passport confiscated by the Garda and is now on the run. That shop owner was beaten to a pulp while he was trying to get on with running his business. There are serious concerns with confidence. The public demands gardaí on our streets.

Today, the 2017 Supplementary Estimates for the public services arrived on my desk. The Garda is listed on the first page with €44.2 million. It reads: "Estimate of the amount required in the year ending 31 December 2017, for the salaries and expenses of the Garda Síochána". The Minister should attend the House today to explain what that means.