JUSTICE MINISTER FRANCES Fitzgerald has hailed her Department’s budget for 2015 as a “breakthrough” following the announcement of an extra €141 million in expenditure.
200 additional gardaí will be hired as part of a raft of measures unveiled by the Minister in the wake of Brendan Howlin’s announcement in the Dáil this afternoon.
An extra €10 million will also be spent on over 400 new Garda vehicles.
€2.156 billion is being provided to the Department for current spending and almost €107 million for capital spending next year.
It’s the first year-on-year budget increase for Justice since 2008.
“This increased budget will secure better policing across the country and underpin major reforms right across the justice sector,” Minister Frances Fitzgerald said in a statement.
The increased investment in An Garda Síochána marks a positive step forward for policing in Ireland.
“New vehicles and ongoing recruitment will help ensure a strong, visible policing presence is provided in communities right across the country, helping to reduce crime.”
The first €7 million for new vehicles will be spent this year, and the balance in 2015. The first of the new cars will be on the roads at the start of next year.
Meanwhile, the next intake of garda recruits will take place before the end of the year — with another 100 entering Templemore in January.
Elsewhere, €27 million in capital funding is being made available to the Prisons Service. This will be used to complete the new Cork Prison and finish the refurbishment of D-Wing in Mountjoy.
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