Despite recent public scandals, the gardaí retain the confidence of the general public.

A Public Attitudes Survey shows that 88% of people have “mid to high” levels of trust in the gardaí. There was a fall in the number surveyed who were victims of crime in 2016 – down 3% to 8%.

The news wasn’t all good, with a drop in those who believe the gardaí are effective in tackling crime – from 57% to 50%. Over three-quarters of those polled believe national crime to be a serious problem, but only 24% see local crime as serious.