Peadar Tóibín
Question:66. Deputy Peadar Tóibín asked the Minister for Justice what steps her Department is taking to encourage more recruitment to An Garda Síochána. [55101/23]
View answerTuesday, 12 December 2023
Questions (66)
Written answers
My Department is committed to ensuring An Garda Síochána have the resources they need to build stronger, safer communities. This is reflected in the unprecedented allocation of €2.3 billion in Budget 2024. This 23% increase in funding since 2020 is allowing for sustained investment in recruitment, equipment and technology.
As of last month, there were just under 14,000 Garda members across the country. This represents an increase of around 9% since 2015 when there were 12,816 Garda members throughout the country.
Numbers in Templemore continue to increase. A total of 637 trainees entered the training college to date in 2023. Another class is due to enter Templemore this month putting An Garda Síochána on track for between 700 and 800 new recruits into the college this year.
237 new Gardaí have attested so far this year. The next Attestation which was scheduled for 12 January 2024 has been brought forward to 15 December. Over 150 trainees will attest on this date and will be deployed to policing duties over the Christmas period. They will return to the college to complete their studies at a later date.
5,000 applications were received in the most recent Garda competition reflecting the enduring popularity of a career with An Garda Síochána. A new competition will open again in the coming weeks.
I have stated regularly that nothing is off the table when it comes to recruitment, and I have already put in place measures to assist in attracting applications to join An Garda Síochána.
As part of Budget 2024, I secured a significant increase in the training allowance paid to trainees now €305 per week.
The decision to increase the maximum age of recruitment from 35 to 50 was approved by Government last week. This will broaden the pool from which An Garda Síochána can recruit from, and ensure members with more diverse experiences join the organisation.
I have said on several occasions that the retirement age for Garda members should be increased from the current compulsory retirement age of 60 to 62. I am engaging with Minister Donohoe on this matter and hope to make an announcement shortly.
Furthermore, I am advised by the Garda Commissioner that An Garda Síochána continue to work on the mitigation of various resourcing challenges including, but not limited to, actions such as:
• Engagement with Public Appointments Service (PAS) to ensure seamless transition between 2022 and 2023 Garda Trainee competitions with no gaps in timelines including continuous interviews every 4 weeks.
• Establishment of the Garda Training Steering Group.
• Identification of initiatives to improve attraction and retention of suitable eligible candidates.
Finally, a recruitment competition for the Garda Reserve is planned for early 2024.