text: Nóirín O'Sullivan welcomed the fact that new police recruitment had begun, but said policing is a profession that constantly needs new people.
  She said 300 new recruits would keep the gardaí at a standstill.
  She said over 500 new recruits every year were needed to ensure the force could deal with emerging crime trends.
  Ms O'Sullivan was speaking at the annual conference of the Garda Superintendents in County Kildare.
  The superintendents say they are under serious pressure to ensure they have sufficient officers to police the country on a 24-hour basis.
  The Irish government recently announced new recruitment, however, the general secretary of the Superintendents' Association Denis Ferry, said the gardaí needed at least double the level to maintain current levels of service.
target: The commissioner of An Garda Síochána (Irish police) has said the force needs more than 500 new recruits a year to provide a proper service.