I ask the Minister for Justice what efforts are being made to improve Garda recruitment. In my constituency, for example, the number of gardaí has reduced from 351 in June 2021 to 339 last month. This is a worrying trend. I understand there are pressures throughout the country. Meanwhile the population, as the Minister will be aware, is growing rapidly. I ask for an update on what is being done to recruit new gardaí and to address the fall in numbers in counties such as Kerry.

I thank the Deputy. When it comes to my engagement with An Garda Síochána, Garda recruitment is my number one priority. I could probably say it is the Commissioner's priority. We have had challenges over the years, not least the closure of Templemore and, more recently, Covid-19, which has slowed down the number of new recruits coming out. Couple that with an increased population and we are seeing the challenges we have now where members of An Garda Síochána are retiring and we are trying to increase numbers at the same time.

We have had two successful recruitment campaigns in the past year and what we are now seeing coming from those is a steady flow of new members going into and, most importantly, coming out of Templemore. It is, obviously, a matter for the Garda Commissioner as to where those members go but I can assure the Deputy that where issues arise and where numbers are dropping, it is something the Commissioner takes into consideration. I want us not only to get to that figure of 15,000 but to go beyond it and to make sure we modernise our service because it is about numbers of gardaí and the way in which they work.