Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 25 July 2023
880. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the number of additional gardaí hired since the formation of this Government, by county, in tabular form; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [37000/23]
View answerI can assure the Deputy the Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities and the 2023 budget of over €2 billion will allow for the continued recruitment of Garda members and staff with recruits entering Templemore every 11 weeks.
As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including the recruitment, training and deployment of Garda members. As Minister, I have no role in such matters.
The number of recruits have continued to grow in each class following the re-opening of the college after Covid-19, with 92 recruits entering the Training College in Templemore in late November, 135 in February and another 154 in May. Another class are due to enter the college at the end of this month.
I will also be in Templemore this week for the graduation of the class which entered in November, and these will have an impact on the frontline. This will be the first class to graduate from the 2022 recruitment campaign and marks a turning point from the Covid-enforced pause. An Garda Síochána is prepared to take in a new class every 11 weeks for the remainder of the year, as provided for in their budget, and I will also be Templemore for graduations every three months.
The Deputy will also note that almost 5,000 people applied to join An Garda Síochána in this year’s recruitment campaign. This is in line with the last pre-Covid campaign in 2019, which shows interest in joining An Garda Síochána is as strong as ever. This campaign, which only closed on 14 April, will provide a stream of candidates for future intakes.
Overall, since 2015 there has been an almost 9% net increase in the number of Gardaí, and this sustained progress will be maintained through An Garda Síochána’s continued recruitment, supported by the Government’s funding.
These Gardaí are supported by around 3,130 Garda staff, which is over 50% more than the number of staff in 2015. This increases the availability of Gardaí to concentrate on frontline policing duties.
Since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, a total of 4,029 new recruits have attested as Gardaí and been assigned to duties nationwide. This includes the 542 Probationer Gardaí who have attested since the formation of the Government in June 2020.
Further detailed information in relation to the allocation of Probationer Gardaí by Division and Station can be found at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/bd777-an-garda-siochana-your-police-service-some-facts-and-figures/
