Policing, Protests and Public Order: Statements
Dail Éireann — 2023-11-28
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Mary Lou McDonald (SF), Dublin Central

I am representing the people who elected me, Deputy Gannon and others from our constituency and people right across the country who looked on and said it was always going to happen. Why? Because Dublin was deserted; because the Government has failed.
As for Fine Gael in government, here are the stats for you. I know you are keen on numbers, Darragh. Since 2009, you have closed 130 Garda stations. You have cut Garda numbers by 450 in Dublin. Despite all your promises about law and order, we have fewer gardaí on the beat now than we had in 2009. This is despite an explosion in our population. How is that for a review, ladies and gentlemen? Do not look wide-eyed in wonder at why people feel unsafe. That is why people are unsafe.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/dail/2023-11-28/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:52:27+00:00
Sitting date: 2023-11-28