Fine Gael TD for Kildare South, Martin Heydon, has today (Wednesday) welcomed the announcement by Minister for Justice Frances Fitzgerald that a further 250 Garda recruits will enter the Garda College in Templemore in 2015. This will bring the total number of Gardai recruited since September 2014 to 550.
“I am pleased to see the continuation of the Garda Recruitment programme with another 2 batches of 125 Gardai to be recruited this year on top of the 300 recruited last year, the first recruits to Templemore since 2009. The safety and protection of our citizens is a number one priority of this Government and the continued investment in this area is recognition of that priority.
“I have previously spoken to Minister Fitzgerald and written to Commissioner O’Sullivan to highlight the need for additional Garda resources in Kildare and I will continue to raise this until we see the numbers increase. As a growing population area on the outskirts of Dublin we need to ensure that our resources in Kildare keep pace with our growing population and I have emphasised that point to both Minister Fitzgerald and Commissioner O’Sullivan.”