Sinn Féin President Mary Lou McDonald TD has demanded that the government address the recruitment crisis in An Garda Síochána that has grown on Fine Gael’s watch.

Gardaí numbers have plummeted throughout Fine Gael’s time in charge of the Justice Department over more than a decade, despite growing populations and demand.

Speaking in the Dáil this afternoon, Teachta McDonald told the Taoiseach:

“A report published in the Irish Independent presents in stark terms the recruitment and retention crisis in An Garda Síochána.

“One in four stations has seen a drop in staff, while 42 stations have no Garda permanently assigned to them.

“In my own constituency of Dublin Central, we lost 30 Gardaí in the last year.

“The truth is Fine Gael has overseen a significant depletion in Garda numbers over their decade in power.

“When it comes to Garda recruitment, we have another case of this government setting big targets but falling way short on delivery.

“There are simply not enough Gardaí to adequately police some areas, despite the very best efforts of those already working on the frontline.

“This creates real worry for people that their communities are not protected from crime.”