Ireland’s population is up by a million since 2006, so why have garda numbers barely changed?

‘Serious questions’ about plans to add 5,000 extra officers

The population of Ireland is one million more than in 2006 – so why have our garda numbers barely changed?

The country was “coming down with crime” when a moratorium on garda recruitment was introduced in the aftermath of the financial crash. In April 2009, then Labour leader Pat Rabbitte told the Dáil that it was “an unbelievable crisis”.

“The country is in mayhem. If the government had not made such a mess of the economy, this would be at the top of the agenda,” he said.