FG: Garda cutbacks will feed rising crime levels

Crime levels will soar and communities around the country will suffer as a result of Government-imposed cutbacks to frontline policing, according to Fine Gael.

The party's justice spokesperson, Charlie Flanagan, has claimed that a top-level directive has been issued by the Department of Justice to all Garda divisions this week imposing major spending restrictions.

Mr Flanagan said it will result in cutbacks to all frontline policing duties including measures aimed at tackling gangland crime.

He said these cutbacks couldn't have come at a worse time with the latest CSO figures revealing spiralling crime levels.