Yesterday Thomas Dooley was stabbed to death in a cemetery in Tralee just minutes after a young mother was buried. This was an horrendous murder in a location that should be a sanctuary for people who are grieving for their families. It comes when crime levels in areas such as sexual assaults and domestic violence are increasing significantly. In 2016 after years of austerity we had one of the lowest numbers of police in the EU with just 278 gardaí for every 100,000 people and we have hardly moved a bit. We now have 280 gardaí for every 100,000 people. Ireland is still one of the lowest policed states in the EU. The Government planned to recruit 800 gardaí this year but only 25 were actually recruited in the first eight months. That is three gardaí recruited every month in the country with one of the lowest numbers of police officers at a time when crime is radically increasing. Many people feel the Minister for Justice is distracted by the culture wars and not focusing on the real job of keeping people safe in this country.

I extend my sympathies to the family of the victim following the fatal stabbing at Rathass Cemetery near Tralee in Kerry. As the Deputy will appreciate, a Garda investigation is under way and I am confined in what I can say about it. I absolutely encourage anyone who has any information to contact the Garda and bring the people who carried out this terrible crime to justice.

On the wider point, Ireland is a country with relatively low crime levels. It is still the case that if a murder happens in Ireland, it is on the news which is not the case in most other countries. Thankfully, that is because we have a very low murder rate in Ireland and relatively low crime rates. We have never had more gardaí than is the case under this Government. At the request of the Minister, Deputy McEntee, and she fought for this, last week's budget provides for another 1,000 gardaí to be recruited next year.

However, this year's gardaí were not recruited.