Donegal Gardaí decline blasted

Speaking in the Dáil during a debate following the shocking events in Dublin last week, he said: “There are fewer gardaí on our streets and fewer Garda stations in our communities. These are the facts.”

“This is not restricted to Dublin; in Donegal there are fewer gardaí now than there were in 2009.

"Since this Government took office, garda numbers in Donegal have fallen in every single district. We need more gardaí on the street. Any attempt to deplete garda numbers in Donegal or elsewhere to cover the Government's failure in Donegal is not a solution and not acceptable,” he said.

Deputy Doherty expressed support for the young children and the care worker seriously injured in the stabbing incident in Parnell Square last Thursday. The riots that followed he described as a ‘carnival of destruction’.

Addressing garda numbers Justice Minister Helen McEntee said: “There is no avoiding the fact that the forced closure of the Garda College during Covid-19 impacted the recruitment process.

"The reality is we would now have 1,000 more gardaí if it had not closed. However, it closed for good reasons. The aim is to keep people safe.

"By the end of 2023, between 700 and 800 new recruits will have entered the college.”

She said 5,000 people applied to join An Garda Síochána during the last recruitment campaign and between 800 and 1,000 new gardaí have been budgeted for next year.