66% rise in Gardaí assigned to Kerry Drugs Unit since 2015

The number of Gardaí assigned to the Kerry Drugs Unit has increased by 66% since 2015.

Figures - provided by the Minister of Justice, Helen McEntee, in the Dáil recently - show there are currently 15 gardai within the unit in the county, up from 9 in 2015.

Nationally, the number has increased by 21%, from 258 in 2015, to 312 this year.

Elsewhere, there was a 30% reduction in the drugs unit in Cork city, falling from 23 last year to 16, as of the end of September.

An Garda Siochana received €2.14 billion in Budget 2023, with the aim of recruiting 1000 new Gardai and additional staff next year, for a total workforce of 19,000 people.