Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 25 September 2013
17. Deputy Timmy Dooley asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the current number of Gardai in the force and his estimate of the number of Gardai by the end of 2013, 2014 and 2015; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [39592/13]
View answerI have been informed by the Commissioner that the strength of the force as of the 31 August, 2013 was 13,190 along with 1,190 Reserve Gardaí and over 2,000 civilian support staff. It is difficult to predict with any certainty the exact number of Garda members who will retire by the end of the year. The Deputy will recall that under the terms of the arrangements his party entered into in November 2010 when in Government the number in the Garda force was to be reduced to 13,350 by 31 December 2012. At that date there were in fact 13,424 Garda members. I have managed to maintain members of An Garda Síochána at a higher level than previously agreed by the Deputy's party in Government.
Garda strength at any one time is influenced by a number of factors, including in particular the rate of retirement and the rate of attestation of Garda trainees, and it would be speculative to predict the precise Garda strength at the end of 2014 or 2015. As the Deputy is aware, however, I have secured the approval of my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, for a recruitment competition for the Garda Síochána. There are a number of procedural issues that need to be finalised prior to the formal commencement of that competition and these are expected to conclude in the coming weeks with the first students entering the Garda College in Templemore, Co Tipperary, in mid-2014.
