The ongoing issue of falling Garda numbers in Roscommon and a subsequent rise in crime has been raised in the Dáil. Sinn Féin TD for Roscommon Galway Claire Kerrane brought the topic to the floor of the Dáil in the last hour following a spate of burglaries over the last month. The lack of Garda visibility is causing major issues for communities across the region according to the deputy, with a number of businesses broken into and damaged in September. Before the Covid pandemic, there were 171 Garda in Roscommon, with that figure now 146 according to the Deputy. She argues that Garda management must acknowledge the issue facing the people of Roscommon. The Sinn Féin TD also called for a change in the way Gardaí qualify and apply for a transfer:
Responding to Deputy Kerrane on behalf of the Minister for Justice, Minister Mary Butler stated that new Garda recruitment is starting to increase:
