Some victims of crime now see "no point" contacting Gardaí due to the lack of resources in local areas.
That's according to Deputy Sean Canney, who was speaking on a Dáil motion introduced by Galway West TD Noel Grealish.
It demands the immediate allocation of extra resources for Gardaí, as well as a committment to 16 thousand Gardaí by 2028.
It also calls for a baseline per-capita Garda figure in every county - to ensure that all areas have a sufficient policing presence.
Deputy Sean Canney told Justice Minister Helen McEntee that if she came to his constituency or into any of its towns, she'd find absolutely no gardai visible on the beat.
https://mcdn.podbean.com/mf/web/tbrgx6/sean_canney_1_aqojf.mp3