Matt Carthy
Question:701. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration his proposals to reinvigorate the Garda Reserve; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [54942/25]
View answerTuesday, 14 October 2025
Questions (701)
Written answers
The Programme for Government commits to examining a range of further measures to enable An Garda Síochána to increase the personnel in the organisation, including recruiting 5,000 new Garda members in the lifetime of the Government and increasing the Garda Reserve.
The Garda Vote in Budget 2026 includes unprecedented funding of €2.59 billion which will support the continued recruitment of Garda personnel.
At the end of August, the total Garda personnel strength stood at over 18,000, which included 14,369 Garda Members, 3,494 Staff, and 296 Reserves. I will continue to support An Garda Síochána to increase this number further so that we can see more Gardaí assigned all across the country.
Last year, new regulations were made governing recruitment, training and deployment of the Reserve. Subsequently, a competition to recruit Garda Reserves opened in June 2024, the first in many years, and received over 1,800 applications. Garda Reserves play a vital role in their communities, and the revised regulations allow them to contribute even more effectively.
In addition, to help support the work of Reserves, the maximum stipend a Reserve member receives for voluntary service in a given year has been increased from €1,000 to €3,000.
The Government has provided the funding to allow for sustained recruitment and, as I have outlined, is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs.
I would like to assure the Deputy that an increased, and a visible Garda presence, is central to the Government's aim to build safe and secure communities for the public to enjoy.