Sinn Féin spokesperson on Justice, Pa Daly TD, has called for action following the release of “concerning” figures to him relating to Garda resignations. The figures, released to Deputy Daly as part of a Parliamentary Question, state that 164 members have resigned or intend to resign for the year 2023.
Teachta Daly said
“According to the reply there will be at least 164 resignations this year, an over 50% increase on last year and represents the highest figure in over 6 years. The retention crisis shows little signs of abating and Gardaí have expressed their frustrations over the events of November 23rd.
“We saw Gardaí overwhelmed and a hesitancy on the part of both the Commissioner and the Minister. When mobilisation eventually occurred, it drew upon Gardaí from neighbouring divisions, meaning it was too late to prevent serious harm and destruction.
“Fine Gael must carry the responsibility for allowing numbers to reach this point. The number of Gardaí now in Dublin is no higher than when they first took over the Justice Ministry in 2011, despite the population of the wider Dublin region increasing by 400,000 people.
“This has made maintaining service levels close to impossible for serving Gardaí, leading to a vicious cycle where members feel disheartened and overwhelmed, contributing to the further loss of personnel.
“By any metric, Fine Gael has failed to deliver on their promises, with their ’21 for 21’ pledge being maintained as late as 2018. We are now well past 2021, and total numbers, both sworn and non—sworn, stand at 17,069, when their pledge was to have 21,000 Gardaí, reservists and civilian staff in place by that year.
“The Minister’s refusal to accept control was lost in Dublin, and these numbers, do not bode well. Fine Gael are out of touch, out of ideas and out of time. Urgent change is needed to maintain public order and public confidence in Dublin and across the country.
“A Sinn Féin government would invest in policing to ensure that communities can feel safe and protected.”
