On a day when Áine Donnelly, a former garda, and her former Garda colleagues are visiting the Dáil, many of them of the rank of inspector or superintendent, I wish to speak on behalf of the gardaí of Clonmel in south Tipperary. The Garda station in Clonmel is Dickensian, with no sign of it going to tender. We also have the worst numbers ever in Clonmel. Carrick-on-Suir has three gardaí and two sergeants when it used to have 14 gardaí. It is the same in Cahir and Cashel districts and in Tipperary town. When are we going to get the Garda resources we need? Not only that, they are being called to Dublin and to many other areas and they are doing overtime. The people there are under huge pressure, although they are excellent people doing an excellent job. The crime rate in Clonmel and the antisocial behaviour are appalling but they just do not have the physical numbers there, in Carrick-on-Suir or in any of the other areas I have referenced.

It has never been as bad. I do not want to give out these figures but they are the actual figures. It is a disastrous situation. We need new gardaí and extra gardaí and recruits. They are all going to Dublin now. We are getting none.

I agree that we need more gardaí. I want more gardaí. The Deputy wants more gardaí. I commend the work of the gardaí we have. Many of the actions I am taking in the Department are to make sure we can attract and retain more gardaí: increasing the retirement age, increasing the age at which people can join, increasing the allowance they have in college and making sure we have the highest budget ever, with a 23% increase. Where gardaí go is a matter for the Garda Commissioner but as more graduates come through the college, we will have more in the coming weeks coming out of Templemore. We have a new class going in in the next two weeks. As the classes get higher in number - and they have been increasing, with trainees entering every 12 weeks - those gardaí will be going right across the country.

The Deputy will be aware that Clonmel and Macroom had been part of a PPP. They were taken away from that. Additional funding has been allocated and that project is progressing.