According to data released to Aontú by the Minister for Justice, only 116 people were recruited to the Gardaí last year.
This figure represents a more than 80% decrease in the number of recruits.
Meath West TD, Deputy Peadar Toibin, says on the other hand last year saw the highest number of resignations from the Gardaí out of the previous five years.
He highlighted that the Government has "hung the Gardaí out to dry", by under-resourcing and understaffing the organisation and pointed to a Eurostat report in 2016 that indicated Ireland had one of the smallest per capita police forces in the EU at 278 Garda for every 100,000 people.
Aontú is subsequently calling for the Government to support its bill for a minimum custodial sentence for those who physically assault a Garda.
"Our Bill also seeks to provide prison officers, a member of the fire brigade, ambulance personnel and Health service workers with protection. Frontline staff working in the Ireland East Hospital group have made 3,500 assault reports in the last seven years. We have also seen Fire Service personnel attacked with bottles, cars and rocks while they are doing their life-saving work. These workers put themselves in harm's way for the protection of other citizens and need to be protected with adequate resources and the law".
"The Aontú Bill provides on summary conviction a six months custodial imprisonment sentence or on conviction on indictment a two years imprisonment. We are also aware of a significant level of assaults being carried out on ordinary citizens many of which are severe and go without a custodial sentence. We are researching the best way to deal with this at the moment in terms of the application of a minimum custodial sentence for these types of crimes also. Its time we stood up for our Gardaí", concluded Tóibín.
