The garda Commissioner has this evening met with four representative associations to address the ongoing issue of assaults on members and recruitment concerns.
And he has once again given his support to the use of body cams by gardai. This follows an incident over the weekend where a man allegedly bit off part of a garda's finger in north Dublin after testing positive for drugs.
Commissioner Drew Harris condemned the attacks on members recently. He also said they hope to have 200 potential recruits in Templemore every 12 weeks.
Read more: Kildare car chase ends with teenagers arrested in Dublin Retail Park
Commissioner Harris said: "The safety of Gardaí is of utmost importance and concern for An Garda Síochána, myself as Commissioner, and all four Garda Representative Associations. Regrettably, already this year we have seen a number of serious assaults on Gardaí.
"While all Gardaí accept policing has its risks, there can never be any excuse for these disgraceful attacks. It is not acceptable that a small minority in society – and it is only a small minority – feel that Gardaí can be attacked just because they are carrying out their duties.
"The vast majority of the public have great respect for the work that Gardaí do to keep them safe, their professionalism and dedication, and their empathy, particularly when engaging with the most vulnerable in our society. I will continue to ensure we provide Gardaí with the equipment they need to do their jobs safely and effectively.
"I am looking forward to welcoming more Garda recruits to the organisation throughout 2023 starting next month and I am confident that we will soon get back to a situation where Garda numbers are growing. I have said this before, but I not only want to get to the current target of 15,000 Gardaí, but given population growth, demographic change and the rapidly changing nature of crime, I believe there is a strong case for there to be more than 15,000 Gardaí.”
Read next:
RTE Room to Improve viewers all asking same question after Wicklow family downsizes
Popular vegan cheese products recalled urgently over 'serious illness' fears
Gardai launch investigation following early morning burglary at shop on Grafton Street
Thousands of PAYE workers could receive welcome cash boost of over €2,000 from tax allowance
Dublin restaurants fully reopened one year ago but dozens have since closed due to costs
Sign up to the Dublin Live Newsletter to get all the latest Dublin news straight to your inbox.
