Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 14 October 2025
700. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the total membership of the Garda Reserve, and the number who volunteered time, in the years 2020 to date, in tabular form; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54940/25]
View answerGarda Reserves bring a variety of experiences and perspectives to An Garda Síochána, including local knowledge and links to the communities in which they serve, which brings to life An Garda Síochána’s core value of community policing.
The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024. This includes all operational policing, such as the management of recording data on volunteer hours and for the recruitment and training of Garda reserves.
In the interest of transparency, An Garda Síochána publishes information in relation to the allocation of Garda members nationally, including Garda Reserve by Division, which can be found at the following link: www.garda.ie/en/about-us/our-departments/human-resources-and-people-development/garda-hr-directorate/garda-strength-breakdown-2025/
The Deputy should select August 2025 (the latest date for when figures are available) and then select the report titled ‘Garda Reserve by Division 2009 to 31 of August 2025’
As of end of August 2025, there are 296 Garda Reserve members.
The Garda Budget of €2.59 billion for 2026 will fund the recruitment of up to 1,000 new Gardaí, 200 more Garda staff and a doubling of the Garda Reserve to over 600 next year.
A competition to recruit Garda Reserves was run in 2024, the first in many years and attracted about 1,800 applications. A reformed training program with training modules both online and in-person. The first successful group of 20 candidates entered Templemore in April 2025. They are expected to attest around the end of October. The second intake is expected to enter the College in late 2025.
New regulations governing recruitment, training and deployment of the Reserve was brought forward in 2024. This includes an increase to the Garda Reserve stipend, with up to €3,000 payable to Reserve members for 200 hours of volunteering, a significant increase from the previous maximum payment of €1,000. The stipend is now paid on the following basis:
|
Hours Performed |
Claim |
|
50 Hours |
€500 |
|
100 Hours |
€1,000 |
|
150 Hours |
€2,000 |
|
200 Hours and above |
€3,000 |
Garda Reserve members are also reimbursed for any expenses incurred by them in attending courts, tribunals or other legal proceedings outside of their hours of duty.
