Tánaiste and Minister for Justice Michael McDowell has been accused of engaging in a "cheap publicity stunt" by claiming 280 Garda recruits who started their first day's training yesterday have fulfilled the Government's promise to increase Garda numbers to a record 14,000.
The claim, by Fine Gael's justice spokesman Jim O'Keeffe, came after Mr McDowell took the unusual decision yesterday to travel to the Garda College, Templemore, Co Tipperary, to welcome the new class of recruits.
Ministers for Justice usually only travel to the college for passing out ceremonies.
The college's full complement of 500 trainee gardaí were paraded in the main square during yesterday's unprecedented arrival ceremony.
The Garda Representative Association (GRA) last night joined Fine Gael's criticism of Mr McDowell, saying the Minister should focus on providing more resources to enable gardaí do their jobs more effectively.
Mr McDowell said that two years ago when he unveiled his plans to increase the Garda by 2,000 to 14,000 Mr O'Keeffe had said such expansion would take 20 years.
"He said this installation here in Templemore would be incapable of doing the task. We have expanded the capacity. Those who said it would take 20 years are now confounded. They were 18 years wrong."
Yesterday Mr O'Keeffe said early retirements from the force had reached 350 per year. The number of fully trained gardaí was still below 12,800 meaning Mr McDowell was "not even half way" to fulfilling his promise of five years ago to bring the Garda to over 14,000 members.
"Making stupid claims about trainees who have no capacity to tackle [crime] . . . will provide no comfort to the communities suffering from this new wave of violent crime."
Mr McDowell conceded the numbers of fully-trained gardaí stood at 12,900, well below the 14,000 promised before the last election.
However, he added, when those currently in training are added, including the 280 who arrived in Templemore yesterday, the force now numbers 14,137. He insisted the number of fully-trained gardaí would exceed 14,000 in the next "12 to 15 months".
He also insisted there were more resources being pumped into fighting crime than ever before. Of the GRA's criticisms on resources he said: "I really don't think the GRA have a lot to complain about."
GRA president John Egan said while new members were always welcome, his association was still frustrated that the Government had not acted decisively on other key resourcing issues.
"What we need is a more enlightened approach to resource planning within An Garda Síochána that delivers an index-linked capital investment programme that allows both the existing Garda force and its new recruits the ability and the tools to deliver the policing service that the Irish people deserve."
Garda equipment and accommodation remained particular problems.
Mr McDowell said plans to upgrade Garda stations were ongoing. Some 10,000 stab-vests had been ordered for gardaí. Overtime expenditure was at record levels and there had also been other widespread investment in areas such as information technology and computers.
He also revealed 87 individuals from ethnic minorities had been accepted into the Garda based on educational criteria. These were now waiting to undergo medical tests. The first group would be in training early next year.