The number of Gardaí in the Kilkenny/Carlow Division has been steadily rising over the past three years.
That’s according to figures released by the Department of Justice for 2015 to the end of 2017.
As of the end of last year there were 329 Gardaí stationed between Carlow and Kilkenny.
That’s an increase of 33 on the year before when there were 296 Gardaí locally and up from 284 in 2015.
The Justice Minister says that since the Garda Training College in Templemore reopened in 2014, just under 1,600 recruits have gone on to join the force nationwide – 49 of whom have been assigned to this division.
Charlie Flanagan was responding to written questions from local TD Bobby Aylward who also asked him for figures relating to Garda vehicles that are more than 10 years old.
At the moment, out of the 81 vehicles registered to the force in Kilkenny/Carlow – just six are more than a decade old – five in Carlow and one in Kilkenny.
Meanwhile when it comes to members of the drugs unit there are just five in this division which is tied for third lowest in the country.
