McDowell accused of breaking Garda promise

Fine Gael has criticised the Minister for Justice, Michael McDowell, for making empty promises to put 2000 extra gardaí on the streets.

Mr McDowell made the pledge following the latest shooting in Tallaght, in which a 64-year-old woman was killed.

Fine Gael's justice spokesman, Jim O'Keefe, has said the same promise was made before the last election, but it never materialised.

He has said there is no evidence that the promise will be kept this time: “This has been a reaction from Mr McDowell in resurrecting the promise of the 2000 extra gardaí.

"This was supposed to have happened years ago. Why are we to believe anything is going to happen now, when it didn't happen before?”