4. Deputy Roderic O'Gorman asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration for an update on the deployment of 1,000 additional gardaí to Dublin city centre, in line with the recommendations of the Dublin city task force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [36142/26]

Sentiment score: 0.18

I am seeking an update on the recruitment of an additional 1,000 gardaí for Dublin city centre. This was one of the ten big moves recommended in the Dublin city task force. Is it still Government policy to recruit these additional 1,000 gardaí and what is the timeline for delivery?

Sentiment score: 0.07

The Dublin city task force report was published in October 2024 and there was a lot of fanfare about it at the time. It was presented as a definitive blueprint to reclaim the capital's streets after the events of the Dublin riots and a wider visible decline in public safety across the inner city. Big move number four of that report was the deployment of a minimum additional 1,000 gardaí within the city centre on a phased basis. That number was not pulled out of thin air. It was seen as the minimum required to meet average European policing standards for a city of this size. We are now well into 2022 and for the people living, working and commuting across Dublin the reality on the ground tells a different story. The net increase in garda numbers across the city centre district is 40 in the year and a half since the report was published. Will the Minister give me a timeline as to when he believes the additional 1,000 gardaí will be provided?

Sentiment score: 0.08

To put the numbers in perspective we have seen approximately a 4% increase in city centre garda numbers. On the current trajectory, to meet the figure of 1,000 additional gardaí, it looks like we will meet that sometime around 2063. I hope the Minister understands the frustration people feel when governments announce big headline figures. The then Taoiseach and current Tánaiste wrote a big editorial in the Irish Independent after that report was published. I remember he used the line, "I'm up for it, are you?" It does not sound like the Minister and his Department are up for achieving recommendation number four of 1,000 extra gardaí. This is central to creating a sense of safety and security across the inner city and in the communities in the inner city. This is not just about, as the Minister said to Deputy Gannon, gardaí outside Leinster House. This is gardaí located in communities creating a sense of safety. Will the Minister give us some indication of when those 1,000 gardaí will be available?

Sentiment score: 0.18