TD for Dublin Mid-West Mark Ward has called on government to address the unsafe staffing levels within Dublin. Teachta Ward said “Communities in Dublin Mid West deserve to feel safe and protected but many feel let down by Fine Gael’s failures to invest in safe policing levels. “Figures show that there are just 702 Gardaí in Dublin Metropolitan Region Western. This is a decrease of nearly 10% since 2011. This also comes at a time when the local population in Dublin Mid-West is increasing, so in real terms this represents a drastic decrease.
“Fine Gael have held the Justice portfolio since 2011. We even had a Fine Gael Minister for Justice in Dublin Mid West and things have only got worse. “Communities in Dublin will be understandably concerned by government’s failure to deliver safe policing levels. They need to know that if a crime is committed, an appropriate and quick response will be issued.
“These latest figures come at a worrying time for Garda members and the general public. With an expanding population, Garda recruitment under this government has not kept pace with the growth in many areas. “Figures remained stable for many years, leading to a per capita decrease, but now we are facing a perfect storm of lacklustre recruitment combined with a crisis in retention.
“This means the government is now scrambling to ensure recruitment keeps pace with retirements and resignations. Failure to do this means we don’t have enough Gardaí. “Communities in Dublin Mid West feel abandoned. “Garda numbers are not the only tool to combat many of the issues facing Dublin Mid-West but we do need to ensure a consistent presence within communities to reassure people who are vulnerable that they will not continue to be targeted by criminals.
