Crime

Garda recruitment targets ‘very hard’ to achieve, Taoiseach admits

Leo Varadkar is to meet with the Garda Commissioner next week to discuss recruitment issues

Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says that Fine Gael is the party of law and order and that his government would “redouble” its efforts on addressing crime. Picture: Fergal Phillips

The government’s own garda recruitment targets for this year will be “very hard” to reach, the Taoiseach has admitted.

Leo Varadkar told reporters on Tuesday that the target of recruiting 1,000 additional gardaí this year remained the government’s goal, but would prove very difficult due to the projected pipeline of Templemore graduates.

“[1,000 new gardaí] will be more than enough to make up for resignations and retirements, but that is going to be a very ...