Press release
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee welcomes attestation of new 151 Garda members
Published on
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Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has welcomed the attestation of 151 members of An Garda Síochána at the Garda College, Templemore, today (15 December).
The attestation of the new Gardaí was brought forward by one month to allow for improved Garda visibility over the Christmas period.
Of the 151 attesting today, 113 are men and 38 are women. 11 of the new recruits were born outside of the State. 115 of the new Garda Members will be deployed in the Dublin Region.
Minister McEntee said:
"I want to congratulate the recruits attesting in Templemore today, and I want to thank this group particularly for the commitment and flexibility they have shown in being deployed a month earlier than they had expected. It is a shining example of the dedication to public service that makes An Garda Síochána the envy of many police services around the world.
“Their commitment to building stronger, safer communities is something to be commended and which we are all grateful for.
“Garda recruitment is well and truly back up and running and I am delighted to be able to announce that a new Garda recruitment campaign will launch on 15 January 2023.
“This will be the first recruitment campaign since we increased the age limit from 35 to 50 and Budget 2024 also provides for a 66% increase in the weekly training allowance for Garda trainees.”
The 151 newly-attested Gardaí will be assigned to Garda Divisions throughout the country for immediate deployment. 115 are being deployed to the Dublin Region. They will return to Templemore to complete their exams in due course.
Budget 2024 reflects the commitment of Government to building stronger, safer communities and that An Garda Síochána has the resources required to operate effectively.
The budget provided by Government to the Garda Commissioner continues to increase to unprecedented levels, with an allocation of €2.3 billion for 2024.
The ongoing financial support provides for better technology, better wellbeing supports, and importantly it will fund the ongoing recruitment of between 800 and 1,000 new Gardaí throughout next year. It also provides for a 66% increase in the weekly Garda training allowance, rising to €305 per week.
Garda recruitment is building momentum and there was a very strong interest in the 2022 and 2023 Garda recruitment campaigns.
A new recruitment campaign for the Garda Reserve will also take place in early 2024 – the first such recruitment campaign since 2017.