Speech by Minister Jim O’Callaghan at the Garda Attestation Ceremony

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1 May 2026

Opening

Ladies and gentlemen,

Commissioner,

Distinguished guests, family and friends,

And most importantly, to our new Gardaí.

It is an honour and a privilege to be with you today on this special occasion. It is a day of huge achievement and celebration for each of you, and for us all, as we welcome 193 additional Gardaí to the ranks of An Garda Síochána.

Today is a day that you will always remember as you become the newest Gardaí to grace the uniform in which so many of your predecessors have served the State with valour and compassion.

I know that many of you will have also received tremendous support from your families and I am sure that there is no one here prouder today than your family and friends.

Today marks the beginning of a new chapter for you all. Well done - you have earned your place in An Garda Síochána. From this day on, you become part of the fabric of An Garda Síochána. You will be on the frontline, keeping our country, and our communities safe. That is a great honour, a great responsibility and a great privilege.

You have chosen to embark on a career that, as you know, will demand a lot of you, but also one that will give you a strong sense of purpose and pride each day as you serve this country.

During your time here in Templemore you have shown great dedication and determination towards becoming committed members of An Garda Síochána.

I want to assure you that you have my full support, as Minister, and the full support of the Government, in the valuable and essential work that you will undertake throughout your career.

As a Garda you are the cornerstone of our communities and role models in our society.

It is a great honour to stand here today and witness the continued growth of An Garda Síochána. At its core, it is about public service of the highest order.

For the most part, the relationship between Gardaí and the public is one built on very significant trust. We only have to look to the fact that An Garda Síochána remains a largely unarmed, and yet hugely effective, community policing service, as evidence of that.

We are in a unique and envied position in Ireland where community policing is the bedrock of the relationship between the public and the Gardaí.

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While today is a day of celebration, I am very conscious that in fulfilling your duties and serving the people you can be called to respond to difficult, and sometimes extremely dangerous incidents.

You may also on occasion be challenged with aggression and harsh words both in person, and online which is unacceptable.

Anonymous social media accounts are the platform of the coward.

Please know harassment of members of An Garda Síochána online or in person for carrying out their sworn duty will not be tolerated and will be investigated.

I want to add that it is a credit to An Garda Síochána that the recent fuel protests and blockades ended peacefully with no notable injury to individuals or damage to property.

I again want to express my sincere thanks and that of the Government to the men and women of An Garda Síochána who showed such professionalism, commitment and courage in guaranteeing the safety and security of the State and its citizens in response to the protests and blockades. That was a difficult occasion for us all but the Gardaí performed admirably and your reputation has been enhanced as a result of how you policed those events.

I also want to acknowledge the leadership shown by Commissioner Justin Kelly and his team - not just during the recent protests but since his appointment last September.

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I am committed to supporting Gardaí in every way that I can.

There has been record levels of investment in An Garda Síochána and I am focused on delivering continued investment.

I secured a record budget of €2.74 billion this year to support new technology, resources and increased recruitment of Garda members, Garda reserves and Garda staff over the coming years.

The Garda College here in Templemore will also receive a significant investment which will support the government’s target of recruiting an additional 5,000 Gardaí.

You graduate today to police a world that is changing at a rapid pace. The crimes you will investigate will increasingly have an online element and many will be exclusively online. Everywhere you go, someone will have a camera and the capacity to broadcast their engagement with you. AI is developing exponentially and the impact that it will have on society and by extension on policing is beyond our comprehension.

I want to assure you that, challenging as it is, we will support you in every way we can by providing Commissioner Kelly with the resources he needs to protect and police our communities in the years ahead.

Whether that is drone technology, facial recognition technology, body cameras, hand-held devices, or the myriad of other technologies that are emerging, we will ensure that you and your colleagues are equipped to meet the challenges you face and to provide the public with the best police service possible. You deserve no less and neither do the people of Ireland.

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As I mentioned, this Government is committed to recruiting at least 5,000 new Garda recruits and additional Garda Staff by 2030.

Getting more Gardaí on our streets to prevent and detect crime is my first priority as Minister.

Recruitment into An Garda Síochána is gathering real momentum.

Interest in a career as a Garda remains high, with over 11,100 applications received last year across two recruitment campaigns.

Just under 800 trainees entered the Garda College last year, the highest number since 2018, and today’s attestation brings us very close to having the highest number of serving Garda members in our history.

Each and every one of you should be immensely proud of yourselves; these figures prove that not only are you embarking on a career that is highly regarded, but a highly competitive one at that.

I will be helping to launch another recruitment competition very shortly which will build on the progress already made. This will ensure that there is a steady pipeline of Garda recruits entering the training college over the coming years.

As more Gardaí attest, I hope to see a further expansion of the High Visibility Policing Plans we have seen in Dublin, Cork and Limerick.

We can see that these plans are working. During the first year of the Plan in DMR Central divisions there has been a decrease in offences such as assault, theft from the person, and sale and supply of drugs.

The public will recognise this; reducing these crime types will strengthen the link between Gardaí and their communities. Our communities want to see Gardaí actively contributing to a stronger and safer Ireland.

I welcome the expansion of the roll out of the High Visibility Policing Plan in Dublin to the DMR East and South divisions and I hope to see it replicated in more divisions over time. I’m sure as the Plan is rolled out further, many of you will contribute to its continued success.

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I want to again, thank, and congratulate you all for dedicating your career towards keeping communities across Ireland safe.

As you stand here today alongside your fellow graduates, I hope you all feel a great sense of pride and accomplishment in yourselves, and in each other.

You are joining an organisation that has served this country for over 100 years and maintains a strong and valued tradition of community policing.

You, as members of An Garda Síochána, are also part of your own community.

You have built strong friendships during your time here, and I am sure that you will continue to develop life-long connections with your colleagues, as well as with the communities you will serve throughout your time as a member of An Garda Síochána.

These connections will stand to you through the many challenges and successes you will face as you move through your careers, and I cannot emphasise to you enough how important it is to support one another in the face of adversity, and I have no doubt that you will.

I want to assure you that my commitment as Minister, and that of the Government, to ensuring that An Garda Síochána is supported and well-resourced to keep our communities safe, is clear and steadfast.

I finally want to wish you all the greatest of success in your careers, and I hope that you will all enjoy a day of well-earned celebration ahead of taking up your positions in Garda stations nationwide over the coming weeks.

Comhghairdeas agus go raibh míle maith agaibh.