The entire country was shocked at the escape from Tallaght hospital this week of a high profile dangerous criminal while attending a medical appointment. People were particularly struck by the vicious assault perpetrated on the prison officers detailed to take him to that appointment. Fianna Fáil and everybody in the House want to condemn that attack and wish the prison officers who were subject to this assault a speedy recovery. We also ask that the Irish Prison Service make every resource available to aid their proper recovery and welfare.

What was of most concern to the public was that the person in question was a high profile prisoner who had previously escaped from a UK prison. We now know from reports that the Irish Prison Service had previously requested armed escorts on a number of occasions when this prisoner was leaving prison to attend medical appointments, but that these requests were declined by An Garda Síochána. This raises a number of serious questions, in particular about the level of Garda resources available and afforded to the Irish Prison Service for these escorts. The incident also raises questions about the welfare of prison staff in terms of the equipment available to them such as stab vests, pepper spray and batons. We have heard that the Prison Officers Association has sought the provision of this equipment. There is also the wider question of the welfare of front-line emergency workers, including gardaí, prison officers, nurses and doctors working in emergency departments and the fire service.

Since the incident in question happened, a Garda investigation has been ongoing and the Irish Prison Service is also conducting an investigation. Bearing in mind the past record of the individual concerned of escaping from custody, the public fails to understand the statement made by the Taoiseach yesterday that the failure to provide a Garda escort had nothing to do with cutbacks or a lack of resources for An Garda Síochána. Against the backdrop of that amazing statement by the Taoiseach yesterday and given the two investigations which are a work in progress - we know that the Taoiseach is not authoring these reports or carrying out the investigations - does the Minister agree with the Taoiseach's statement that this incident had nothing to do with a lack of Garda resources? Arising from this event, will the Minister or the Government inform us of the number of previous occasions the Irish Prison Service had its requests for escorts declined by An Garda Síochána, either owing to a lack of resources or for any other reason?

Like the Deputy, I regret the incident that occurred the other day, particularly from the perspective of the prison officers involved. Prison officers are professionals who do a great job, often under considerable pressure and not least in the context of an incident such as this, which may well be an unusual and isolated one. I agree with the Deputy that the welfare of prison officers and personnel across the board, whether in the health service, the Prison Service or An Garda Síochána, is paramount. Like all Members, I join the Deputy in wishing the prison officers involved in the incident a speedy recovery.

The Deputy will appreciate and know that this is and remains an operational matter for An Garda Síochána, in the first instance in this jurisdiction, and for the Police Service of Northern Ireland which I understand has custody of the individual concerned. In these circumstances, it would not be appropriate nor is it possible for me to comment on any aspect of the incident.

What about the issue of resources?

I will come to the question of resources. The Garda and the PSNI must be allowed to get on with the work they do so well and professionally on our behalf. It is not possible or would not be appropriate for us to pick at individual aspects of their work.

I agree with the Deputy that the issue of resources has a wider, political dimension. I agree with the Taoiseach in the sense that there is no evidence or basis for the assumption, at which the Deputy appears to have arrived, that this incident occurred because of a lack of resources. There is no evidence to support such a proposition.

On the broader question of resources, the Deputy will be aware that 100 new recruits entered training at the Garda College in Templemore in September 2014. I remind him that this was the first intake of Garda recruits since the moratorium had been put in place by the Government of which he was a supporter in 2009. There was a further intake of 100 recruits in December and of another 100 last week. They have brought the number of recruits in the Garda College to 300 and are a measure of the Government's commitment to An Garda Síochána. The first intake of recruits will attest as members of An Garda Síochána in May this year and be assigned to Garda stations across the country by the Garda Commissioner.

On equipment, the issue of vehicles is often raised in this context. The House should know that the Government recently secured an additional €10 million for investment in the Garda fleet, €7 million of which was made available in 2014, with the remaining €3 million to be provided in 2015. We are resourcing An Garda Síochána and ensuring that both it and the Irish Prison Service are properly resourced. Where possible, the Minister for Justice and Equality and the Government find increased resources to fill the enormous gap left by the actions of the Deputy's party in government.

I find the Minister's response amazing. He has said there is no evidence that there was an issue with Garda resources. Why then were previous requests made by the Irish Prison Service for armed escorts for the individual in question declined? Surely, if the agency of State charged with keeping criminals locked up and dealing with issues of this nature requests an armed escort, its request should be taken on board. Clearly, there is an issue with resources.

Despite all of the Minister's political rhetoric, it was the Government that continued the moratorium on recruitment throughout 2011 to 2014, inclusive. At the same time, it continued to recruit to the Defence Forces. The public is aghast that Garda numbers were allowed to dwindle. No recruits were brought in in those years, yet the Government states it was doing something to deal with the issue. The Minister has not answered my question on how many other requests were made to An Garda Síochána to provide armed escorts.

He got away with it.

The Minister's comments on his concern for the welfare of front-line emergency workers ring hollow. One need only look at how the Government has acted in that regard.

Fianna Fáil cut their pay by 15%.

My party offered legislation which would protect front-line workers, namely, the Assaults on Emergency Workers Bill of 2012, which was introduced by my colleague, Deputy Dara Calleary.

What did the Deputy's party do in Government?

That Bill sought to place a minimum mandatory extra tariff on anybody who committed an assault on a nurse, garda, prison officer or fire fighter. These are people who work day in, day out, to protect people, communities and property. The Minister has spoken about a concern for the welfare of our front-line workers but his actions have not followed through in that regard.

The Government's track record proves it. It is a fact that its actions have not lived up to its concerns about the welfare as expressed here today. I ask the Government to follow through on its concerns by providing what the Prison Officers Association has been asking for, namely, proper stab vests, pepper spray, batons and other equipment which front-line prison staff need to protect themselves while carrying out their day-to-day duties.

The Minister for Justice and Equality has dealt very carefully and very well with this issue-----

She has not dealt with it at all.

-----particularly with regard to the resourcing of An Garda Síochána and the Prison Service. It is extraordinary for Deputy Niall Collins to talk about the moratorium having been continued by this Government when it was his party in Government which put it in place. I find it difficult sometimes to understand the position of Fianna Fáil Deputies. Do they agree with what this Government has done in the context of the recovering economy and the putting in place of additional resources or is this just an issue with which they wish to play political football? The Deputy spoke about Deputies on this side of the House dealing in rhetoric but he has made a good fist of that himself this morning. He should not call into question the sincerity of my remarks regarding the welfare of individuals when I would not question his sincerity in that regard.

I was referring to the actions of his Government.

The Minister is distorting the issue again. What about the resources?

On the question of resources, the Deputy asked specific questions about particular requests. I do not know the extent or number of requests for armed escorts that were made. I will check that for the Deputy and revert to him-----

At the same time, the Minister has said there is no evidence-----

-----as best as I can. The Deputy has no evidence and has not placed any on the record of this House, despite his bleatings-----

It is not his job to provide evidence.

This is not a court of law.

-----that any particular incident occurred - either yesterday or on another occasion - because of a lack of resources.

Yesterday. The prisoner was arrested yesterday.

Deputy Niall Collins has not done that because that evidence is not there.

The prisoner escaped the day before yesterday. Does the Minister even know when this happened?

The Deputy wants to make a political point out of a very regrettable and very dangerous incident which he should not attempt to do.

The Minister for Justice and Equality is dealing with this question. She has won a considerable amount of new resources for An Garda Síochána to be used across the board-----

Tell that to gardaí.

-----including an additional investment of €7 million for the purchase of 370 new vehicles towards the end of last year. The Members opposite do not want to hear this information because it does not suit the narrative they are trying to convey. This Government is dealing with a recovering economy and will put resources in place, as required, across the board for all of our public services. We are doing that successfully and that is the problem for the parties opposite.