An Garda Síochána: Motion
Seanad Éireann — 2026-05-13
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Garret Ahearn (FG), Administrative Panel

I was smiling when I was listening to Senator McDowell speak of when he was the Minister for Justice in 2018. He might not remember but it reminded me of when he was at a passing out event in Templemore. I was a student and I was doing some small piece of work for Tipperary Mid West Radio for the news department. I was sent off to get an interview with him. I thought my best chance was by just telling him who I was and who my mother was so I would have a good chance to get an interview. It worked and he was very kind at the time to do it. When the Senator was speaking just now about numbers in 2008 it reminded me of that.
Senator McDowell spoke about Garda numbers. The figures were at their highest in 2008 and 2009. It is strategic to talk about those years. The Senator said we need to talk about why we have not reached those figures. It is quite easy to figure that out. Because of the financial crash, the Government at the time in 2009 had to make decisions. Dermot Ahern was the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform at the time and he had to close Templemore. That was subsequently closed for five years. The numbers of gardaí reduced by almost 2,000 into the 12,000 figures. It was a Fine Gael-led Government and a Fine Gael Minister who reopened Templemore in September 2014. If there is any reassurance I can give to Senator McDowell or any other Senator about whether we can reach figures, it is that every single year since 2014, the number of serving gardaí in this country has increased, bar one year because Templemore had to be closed because of Covid. There has been yearly proof while Fine Gael has been in government and while Fine Gael Ministers for justice have been there, and now with the Minister, Deputy O'Callaghan, that numbers have increased year on year. Are we where we want to be? No. Have we proven every single year that we are going to get to where we want? Yes we have.
In the last months, and in the last number of years when it has happened once or twice, there are people who are Members of this House and the Lower House, people who are in public service, and people who are running to be Members of this House, who cannot condemn attacks on members of An Garda Síochána. I find it incredible. Have we really come to a place where Members of these Houses or people who want to be Members of these Houses cannot condemn attacks on members of An Garda Síochána?
I could speak of most of the contributions but I think Senator Noel O' Donovan spoke so well. We are very happy to have someone who is former member of An Garda Síochána speak so well about it. The relocation scheme needs to be changed and qualifications should be recognised. This happens in other professions and it does not happen as much as it should in An Garda Síochána. We have countless examples where people want to relocate and cannot. I know someone who was trying for five years to relocate but could not and has now left An Garda Síochána. They did not want to leave but had to leave.

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Record URI: https://data.oireachtas.ie/akn/ie/debateRecord/seanad/2026-05-13/debate/main
Retrieved: 2026-08-14T04:54:56+00:00
Sitting date: 2026-05-13