Fianna Fáil plan to boost garda numbers by 5,000 if re-elected to government, says Tánaiste

If re-elected to government, Fianna Fáil will expand garda numbers by 5,000, the single greatest increase in the force in the history of the State, Tánaiste Micheál Martin has said.

Mr Martin was speaking to journalists yesterday morning after a canvass of Douglas Village Shopping Centre.

He said there was a perception that Irish towns and cities are not as safe as they should be, and his party would favour getting more gardaí onto the streets.

“There is a need for substantially more gardaí on the streets, Fianna Fáil plans to expand the gardaí force by 5,000, that would be the largest expansion ever in the history of An Garda Síochána,” Mr Martin said.

Asked by The Echo about recent claims by the Garda Representative Association that community gardaí in Cork are being taken off community policing duties on Sundays to fill holes in the core policing roster, the Tánaiste said that while acknowledging that garda resources are “stretched”, community gardaí play “a huge role”.

“The community garda programme has been the most effective over decades introduced by An Garda Síochána, and I have personal experience of the impact community gardaí have had right across my constituency, and I think sometimes it doesn’t get valued by leadership at times,” Mr Martin said.

Asked if he meant garda leadership, he replied: “No, I’m just saying generally”.

Water issues 

Asked also by reporters about the ongoing issue of discoloured water in areas of Cork city, the Fianna Fáil leader said Uisce Éireann’s handling of the matter had been “too slow”.

He said an extra billion had been allocated in the budget to the water utility, and further investment would be made in the coming years.

“Using the capital resources that the Apple case have made available, water will be a key feature of that allocation,” the Tánaiste added.

Earlier in the morning, Mr Martin had carried out a whirlwind canvass of Douglas Village Shopping Centre, where he opened a new branch of Pamela Scott.

It was a good-natured canvass, with Mr Martin stopping for chats and selfies.

Politics is the family business, and he was accompanied on the canvass by his wife Mary and their three adult children, Micheál Aodh, Aoibhe, and Cillian, each of whom now and then steered him toward constituents they thought he should meet.

Outside, at the farmers’ market, Mr Martin called to almost every stall.

Fine Gael’s new leader Simon Harris might have trademarked the idea of bringing “new energy” to politics, but the Fianna Fáil leader was buzzing on the first full day of the general election campaign.

Next year will see Mr Martin celebrate his 40th anniversary as an elected representative, and his 65th birthday, but if his Douglas canvass is anything to go by, Mr Martin will continue to give anyone a run for their vote.