Taoiseach Leo Varadkar says people have the right to feel safe walking around the country’s cities at night, reports RTE.
Mr Varadkar will meet Garda Commissioner Drew Harris next week to discuss the issue.
The Taoiseach told the media this afternoon that many people feel that “our cities kind of deteriorated during the pandemic period and have never really come back to the level of safety that they were,” reports RTE.
Mr Varadkar said the problem needed to be addressed and that meant a more visible Garda presence on the streets.
He added that this would mean harsher sentences, which would involve funding courts and prisons.
Community security partnerships, improved street lighting and more CCTV will also be important, Varadkar said, reports RTE.
There is also the possibility of admitting people over 35 to the Garda as part of efforts to speed up recruitment.
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