Tánaiste admits more gardaí are needed in Cork

The Tánaiste Micheál Martin has defended the government's record on garda recruitment, but admitted more gardaí are need in Cork and other jurisdictions.

Mr Martin was speaking in the Dáil on Thursday in response to a call from Cork South Central Sinn Féin TD Donnchadh Ó Laoghaire, who urged him to ensure that communities and towns in Cork are safe by ensuring there are enough gardaí on the beat.

Deputy Ó Laoghaire raised concerns about a number of recent incidents in Cork.

“On Monday night, a petrol bomb was thrown at a house in Onslow Gardens in Cork. A number of children were very fortunate to escape without injury. In the last three weeks there have been two shooting incidents in the City and very many more serious incident,” he said.

"Communities in Cork city feel neglected and terrified when incidents like this happen. It is not only Dublin that Minister McEntee has left exposed by the lack of gardaí. 

 “Despite the best efforts of local Gardaí, under Minister McEntee, communities in Cork city do not have enough gardaí on the beat".

“In 2009, there were 31 Gardaí in Mahon Garda Station, just down the road from you. That has gone down to 22 Gardaí and now to only 17 Gardaí.

"This month, as I told you last week, Cork only got 1of the 125 gardaí who came out of Templemore. A single one. 

“Your Minister for Justice is letting communities in Cork and across the State down. What are you going to do about it?” In response to Deputy Ó Laoghaire, Mr Martin said: “First of all, I condemn the petrol bomb attack on that family home in Cork, in Onslow, and also the shooting. These are reprehensible actions.

“I pay tribute to the Garda Síochána in Cork and to the force for the work that they do and continue to do to protect the citizens of Cork.

“Cork is a very attractive city and particularly during the Christmas period the city centre particularly enjoys a bustling, civic life and that needs to be said as well.

“I think, without question, the issue of Garda recruitment is one that is accelerating in terms of the numbers that are coming into training and that is the key issue. There are increasing numbers being recruited through Templemore and the issue now is the allocation of those Gardaí.

“It’s approaching about 200 every 11 weeks going into Templemore now, so the numbers are increasing very significantly through the pipeline in Templemore. Then, yes we need to get more to Cork and other jurisdictions.”