Jonathan O'Brien
Question:110. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the full year cost of recruiting and training 100 additional members of An Garda Síochána in 2017. [12557/16]
View answerTuesday, 31 May 2016
Questions (110, 111, 123)
Jonathan O'Brien
Question:111. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the cost of training of new members of An Garda Síochána. [12558/16]
View answerJonathan O'Brien
Question:123. Deputy Jonathan O'Brien asked the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the cost of recruiting sufficient members of An Garda Síochána in 2017 to meet targets of a 15,000, 15,500 and 16,000 strong force; and the additional budgetary allocation required where the numbers reach each of these levels. [12578/16]
View answerWritten answers
I propose to take Questions Nos. 110, 111 and 123 together.
I am informed by the Garda authorities that payroll costs for new Garda recruits include a basic allowance of €184 per week plus a living allowance of €77.92. After 32 weeks of training, Garda recruits are attested and move on to the first point of the Garda pay scale €23,750 rising to a maximum of €45,793 per annum after 19 years. They may also qualify for other allowances depending on their assignments.
The number of members in An Garda Síochána as of 31 March was 12,866. Based on this figure, the year one cost of increasing the strength of the force to 15,000, 15,500 and 16,000 (assuming a commencement date of 1 January) is, I am informed, approximately €41 million, €50 million and €60 million respectively, although increasing Garda numbers to such an extent immediately is not feasible due to the training requirements Gardaí must undergo. It should be noted that these costs reflect the pre and post attestation payroll costs for the first year. These figures include Employer's PRSI but exclude any allowances which the recruits may qualify for following attestation. Moreover the annual cost will obviously increase as the members’ move up the Garda pay scale each year.
I am further advised that the cost of training recruits is subsumed into the overall training costs of the Garda College and is not easily identifiable. However, the total cost of running the Garda College in 2015 was approximately €19m, which includes the salary costs of all College personnel.