Minister says there will be no cuts to frontline policing that tackles organised and serious crime.
Minister for Defence Willie O'Dea was speaking at the graduation of 286 new Gardaí at the Garda Síochana College in Templemore County Tipperary.
286 men and women graduated from the Garda College in Templemore this afternoon.
Among the graduates was Desmond McCabe, son of murdered Detective Garda Jerry McCabe, who was accompanied by his mother Anne. Detective Garda Jerry McCabe was shot dead by the IRA in 1996.
The new graduates will become part of a police force, which the Garda Complaints Board says, closes ranks in the face of criticism. This notion was rejected by the Garda Commissioner Fachtna Murphy who said that the Gardaí have nothing to fear from complaints. The commissioner wants members to be prepared to tackle those engaged in crime and those who present challenges to the quality of life in communities.
Willie O'Dea said that government would fund Gardaí in the fight against serious and organised crime. He also said that there would be no cutbacks in frontline policing.
The government is determined to ensure that frontline policing will continue to be resourced next year.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 31 July 2008. The reporter is Paul Reynolds.
