The Justice Minister is being called on to address the declining number of Gardaí in Kerry.
Fine Gael TD Brendan Griffin raised the issue in the Dáil recently, stating the declining number of Gardaí in Kerry was a worrying trend.
Deputy Brendan Griffin asked Justice Minister Helen McEntee what efforts are being made to improve Garda recruitment.
He says in Kerry, the number of Gardaí has reduced from 351 in June 2021 to 339 in May.
Deputy Griffin says while he understands there are pressures throughout the country, the population is rapidly growing and he wants to know what is being done to recruit new Gardaí and to address the fall in numbers in Kerry, and other counties.
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee says Garda recruitment is her number one priority.
She says the closure of Templemore and COVID-19 impacted on recruitment.
Minister McEntee also says there have been two successful recruitment campaigns in the past year and there’s now a steady flow of new members going into and coming out of Templemore.
She says the Garda Commissioner decides where members are assigned to, however, Minister McEntee adds it’s taken into account by the Commissioner when numbers are dropping in particular areas.
She says she wants to modernise the service, adding it’s about the numbers of Gardaí and the way in which they work.
