The Tánaiste recently said, in New York, that "we want to make cities safe again because there is a real sense that people just do not feel safe". That is certainly the view of my constituents who, for example, have to get night-time buses in the Talbot Street area or in the north inner city. For as long as I have been in this House people have demanded more gardaí on the beat. Garda visibility on our streets and in our communities is now a real issue. Recruitment and retention is obviously a problem. What is being done about this? The force needs to be increased to 15,000 members in the short term and up to 18,000 members in the long term. When is the task force that was established by the Government in May to rejuvenate Dublin city due to report? What can we expect from that task force?

I appreciate this issue as a fellow colleague in Dublin. We need to make sure there is law and order on our streets and that is why the Minister, Deputy McEntee, has ensured Garda funding has increased by more than €500 million in total and is up 27% since 2020, with €2.48 billion in budget 2025. Budget 2025 will provide for the recruitment of between 800 and 1,000 new gardaí along with 150 Garda staff and move towards 1,000 Garda Reserve members. All of that work is about supporting front-line policing in communities across our country and also in Dublin where I am aware there is a need to ensure a front-line response. That is why the task force was established. My understanding is that has reached or is reaching a conclusion and I expect recommendations to come from it. I have not seen the task force report myself so I cannot comment on what the exact recommendations are or when the report will be delivered.