The Government has not abandoned its commitment to increase the numbers of Gardai by 2,000, the Minister for Justice has insisted.
Mr McDowell told the Dáil the Garda college at Templemore was not currently equipped to deal with the increase in numbers that would be required in order to bring the force up to a strength of 13,800 by 2007.
His department had discussed the issue, but a "different economic situation" had developed in the summer of 2002 which meant that other issues had to take priority, he said.
Mr McDowell agreed the EU presidency had resulted in Garda resources being diverted from other areas, but he did not see how it would ever have been possible for this not to happen.
The minister said the Garda budget this year was €1.054 billion, some 9.5 per cent more than last year. This was a "significant increase" in resources at any time, but was especially significant when careful control had to be exercised over public spending. Some €7.5 million extra had been allocated for Garda overtime this year.
The order of increase in public spending in other areas had been held to around 6 per cent, the minister said.
Questioned by Fine Gael's Mr Jim O'Keeffe, the minister admitted the 520 gardai involved in traffic duties around the State was not enough. He said more were needed to be assigned to traffic duties and agreed with Mr O'Keeffe that it was a "matter of life and death". Not to have enough gardaí is a matter of very serious consequences, Mr McDowell said.
Deputy O'Keeffe had expressed concern about statements by the chairman of the National Safety Council that the diversion of Garda resources for the EU presidency had resulted in an increase in road deaths.