An Garda Síochána: Motion (Resumed) [Private Members]

The following motion was moved by Deputy Alan Kelly on Wednesday, 25 March 2026:

That Dáil Éireann:

notes that:

— there are still fewer serving members of An Garda Síochána in 2026, compared to six years ago, with 14,187 available members at the end of January 2026, in contrast to 14,235 members in 2020;

— accounting for population growth, this fall in numbers means that there are now 10 per cent fewer Gardaí per capita than there were five years ago;

— the Programme for Government committed to recruiting at least 5,000 new Garda recruits and additional Garda staff by 2030;

— trainee intakes remain far too low to achieve adequate policing levels, with just 619 Gardaí attesting from Templemore in 2025;

— during 2025, 29 per cent of Garda Divisions, and 46 per cent of Garda Districts, either lost Garda members or saw no change in numbers;

— the numbers of Gardaí unavailable due to suspension has rapidly increased in recent years, with 107 Gardaí suspended at the end of 2025, versus just 39 in December 2018;

— over 2025, the number of Community Gardaí fell from 700 to 615; and

— there were just 308 Garda Reserve members as of 31st January, 2026, down from 1,164 in 2013;

recognises that:

— over a year since the formation of the new Government, no new plan has been put in place to increase Garda recruitment and expand the size of the force, in line with public commitments;

— morale within the force was severely damaged under the tenure of the previous Garda Commissioner, with the high-profile mistreatment of serving members, and a steady trend of Gardaí leaving the force or retiring early;

— serious questions remain about the conduct of the National Bureau of Criminal Investigation and senior Garda leadership towards serving members in the Limerick region, and in the Garda bike loan case;

— further serious questions remain unanswered about the procurement and use of inappropriate gun holsters, and the storage of firearms, live scan fingerprints, drugs and cash at Garda Headquarters; and

— the Government failed to declare, over seven years, that the previous Garda Commissioner was provided with rent free accommodation through the Office of Public Works, that underwent €400,000 worth of renovations before being made available in 2018;

further notes that:

— the then Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, appeared before the Oireachtas Joint Committee on Transport and Communications in May 2024, and stated that an additional 150 Gardaí would be allocated to Roads Policing over 2024 and 2025;

— on 31st December, 2023, there were 632 Gardaí allocated to Roads Policing, while on 31st December, 2025, there were 647 Gardaí allocated to Roads Policing, an increase of just 15 members, or 10 per cent of the Commissioner's stated aim;

— 40 per cent of the Garda vehicles fleet is over six years old;

— significant concerns have been raised regarding the impact of the new Garda Operating Model (GOM) implemented from 2019 onwards, which breaks the link between Gardaí and local communities, in particular in rural areas;

— in response to an Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors survey in 2025, 90 per cent of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors indicated that high visibility policing has not increased since the introduction of the GOM, and that the GOM is "unsuitable for rural policing", while 98 per cent of respondents called for an urgent review of the GOM; and

— the Policing and Community Safety Authority assessment of An Garda Síochána's policing performance throughout the first half of 2025, found that 11 of 18 performance indicators were "at risk";

acknowledges:

— the crucial role played by An Garda Síochána in protecting and serving communities across Ireland;

— the critical importance of a locally embedded, well-resourced, modern police service, in enabling communities to flourish;

— the crisis of low morale that has been allowed to develop among rank-and-file Gardaí under successive governments, due to consistent under-resourcing and a failing operational policing model, and the impact that crisis has on the ability of An Garda Síochána to perform its critical functions; and

— that selective internal investigations within An Garda Síochána have been weaponised against members of the force who raise legitimate concerns, submit protected disclosures or act as whistleblowers;

calls on the Government to initiate a public inquiry into the conduct of internal Garda investigations during, and subsequent to, the tenure of the former Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris; and

in order to address recruitment shortfalls, improve morale, and strengthen policing in Ireland, further calls on the Government to:

— urgently publish a funded plan to ensure at least 1,000 new Gardaí are trained every year;

— review the current GOM, and where it is not consistent with effective rural and community policing, to halt its implementation;

— enhance the community policing model to standardise rostering in line with other Gardaí, introduce appropriate promotional opportunities, and increase the use of pedal cycles in urban community policing;

— increase the Garda training allowance to the equivalent of a starting salary, and review pay and pension issues for serving staff;

— provide each Garda District and the communities living there with a clear timeline of when increased numbers of Gardaí will be deployed to address safety concerns and anti-social behaviour, and roll out domestic abuse coordination teams across every region;

— commit to a measurable plan to increase roads policing, and invest in the vehicle fleet and Garda equipment;

— invest in expanding Templemore Training College and the Garda lands and facilities at Dromard, Clonmore, to ensure at least 1,000 new recruits are trained per year; and

— introduce an occupational supplementary pension to the Single Public Service Pension Scheme, as a key retention measure for uniformed service personnel.

Debate resumed on amendment No. 1:

To delete all words after "Dáil Éireann" and substitute the following:

"recognises:

— the crucial role played by An Garda Síochána in ensuring the security of the State, protecting and serving communities across Ireland through the maintenance of law and order, and upholding the principles of justice;

— the commencement of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, in April 2025, providing an extensive new framework for policing and community safety in Ireland, and the subsequent establishment of new bodies critical to the governance and delivery of policing services by An Garda Síochána;

— that Central Statistics Office data shows a decrease in the majority of offence groups in the year to September 2025, the latest period for which data is available;

— that, in particular, homicide and related offences fell by 25 per cent, reflecting, in particular, the significant success of An Garda Síochána in combatting organised crime groups;

— that robbery, extortion and hijacking offences fell by 13 per cent in the same period;

— that burglary and related offences fell by 12 per cent, reflecting the continued evidence-based success of Operation Thor by An Garda Síochána;

— the critical importance of a visible, locally embedded, well-resourced, modern police service in building stronger, safer communities, supporting community wellbeing and enabling them to flourish;

— that, through the promotion of crime prevention and visible policing, An Garda Síochána foster a sense of security, especially among the most vulnerable in our society;

— that our communities rely on the Gardaí to respond to emergency calls, patrol our neighbourhoods, prevent, detect and investigate crimes;

— that An Garda Síochána play an important role in the recently established Community Safety Partnerships, 35 of which are established and operational around the country;

— that overall funding for An Garda Síochána has increased by almost 50 per cent since 2020, with investment of over €2.74 billion for 2026;

— that through successive budget increases the Government has ensured that An Garda Síochána has the resources, leadership and technology to deliver on its mission;

— that a major capital plan is being implemented, including the construction of Divisional Headquarters in Clonmel and Macroom; and

— that €69 million has been allocated to further expand and modernise the Garda fleet over the next five years, which represents a 38 per cent increase on the allocation for the previous five years;

further recognises that:

— in line with Programme for Government commitments, the Garda Training Review Group is working to identify delivery options to increase the scale and capacity of high-quality education, training and continuous professional development in An Garda Síochána, and this will help ensure that the skills needs of the organisation are met over the next decade;

— the proportion of Garda resignations remains very low, with the resignation rate currently between 1 and 2 per cent;

— significant measures have been taken to boost recruitment and retention in recent years, including increasing the Garda trainee allowance to €354 per week, increasing the age of entry from 35 to 50, and raising the mandatory retirement age to 62;

— the vast majority of Gardaí serve with integrity and work tirelessly to keep our communities safe;

— the Garda Commissioner is committed to ensuring the highest levels of integrity are maintained across the organisation, and that there are robust procedures in place under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, to allow him to deal with any allegations of misconduct;

— the introduction of a modernised statutory disciplinary framework under the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act 2024, will help to ensure more timely resolution of conduct proceedings and cases involving Garda suspensions;

— statutory Standards of Professional Behaviour and associated Conduct Regulations now provide clear mechanisms to examine allegations concerning the conduct of Garda members; and

— significant and sustained investment in equipment for Gardaí is delivering real benefits, including through the rollout of mobility devices to all frontline members, the rollout of body-worn cameras, the acquisition of two water cannons, the expansion of the fleet and the purchase of three new state-of-the-art aircraft;

welcomes that:

— there are 14,529 attested Gardaí serving with An Garda Síochána as of end February 2026, reflecting that Garda recruitment is now accelerating following the forced closure of the Garda College during the Covid-19 pandemic in 2020, and subsequent alterations to training as the pandemic continued;

— this represents an increase of almost 1,500 Garda members since 2016;

— the overall Garda workforce has increased from 15,980 in 2016 to 18,276 in 2026;

— the Government has committed in the Programme for Government to funding the recruitment of 5,000 Gardaí and additional Garda staff by 2030;

— interest in a career in An Garda Síochána is high, with almost 11,000 applications to join the Service received in 2025;

— 223 Garda Trainees entered the Garda Training College in Templemore in November 2025, the largest single intake to the Garda College since 2014, and overall, 794 trainees entered the Garda College in 2025, the highest number since 2018;

— a further 215 Garda Trainees entered the Garda Training College in February 2026, with three further intakes planned across the remainder of the year;

— 194 Gardai attested in November 2025, the highest number since 2019;

— the Government is committed to increasing the Garda Reserve with a recruitment competition planned for 2026, and further intakes planned this year; and

— the introduction of the Garda Operating Model, which makes Garda Divisions the central unit of policing administration, has provided for a more comprehensive and inclusive policing service and helped strengthen the focus on community policing, while also introducing increased local specialisation in the investigation of a range of crimes, including sexual crime, domestic violence, cyber-crime, and economic crime; and

notes the Government's commitment to:

— continue to invest in ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to keep people safe;

— support the Garda Commissioner in ensuring the wellbeing and job satisfaction of the members and staff of An Garda Síochána;

— continue to provide funding to recruit 5,000 new Gardaí over the next five years;

— modernise the statutory basis for certain Garda powers, through the enactment of the Garda Síochána (Powers) Bill 2026;

— further enhance the detection and investigation capabilities of An Garda Síochána, through the enactment of the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) (Amendment) Bill 2025, which builds on the Garda Síochána's ability to use body-worn cameras, enabled through the Garda Síochána (Recording Devices) Act 2023;

— continue to invest in additional measures to support the Garda College to increase capacity for up to 1,000 Garda Trainees per year, including those detailed in the An Garda Síochána Recruitment Training Capacity Group Report, published in September 2025; and

— continue to support the work being done by An Garda Síochána with international partners to deal with organised crime gangs and the related issue of drugs in our communities.".

- (Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration)

An Ceann Comhairle

I must now deal with a postponed division relating to the motion regarding An Garda Síochána. On Wednesday, 25 March 2026, on the question, "That the amendment to the motion be agreed to", a division was claimed and in accordance with Standing Order 85(2), that division must be taken now.

Amendment put:

The Dáil divided: Tá, 79; Níl, 69; Staon, 0.

Tá

Aird, William.
Ardagh, Catherine.
Boland, Grace.
Brabazon, Tom.
Brennan, Brian.
Brennan, Shay.
Brophy, Colm.
Browne, James.
Burke, Colm.
Burke, Peter.
Butler, Mary.
Buttimer, Jerry.
Byrne, Malcolm.
Byrne, Thomas.
Cahill, Michael.
Callaghan, Catherine.
Calleary, Dara.
Canney, Seán.
Carrigy, Micheál.
Cleere, Peter 'Chap'.
Collins, Niall.
Connolly, John.
Cooney, Joe.
Crowe, Cathal.
Currie, Emer.
Daly, Martin.
Dempsey, Aisling.
Devlin, Cormac.
Dillon, Alan.
Dolan, Albert.
Feighan, Frankie.
Fleming, Sean.
Foley, Norma.
Gallagher, Pat the Cope.
Grealish, Noel.
Harkin, Marian.
Healy-Rae, Michael.
Heneghan, Barry.
Heydon, Martin.
Higgins, Emer.
Keogh, Keira.
Lahart, John.
Lawless, James.
Lowry, Michael.
Maxwell, David.
McAuliffe, Paul.
McCarthy, Noel.
McConalogue, Charlie.
McCormack, Tony.
McEntee, Helen.
McGrath, Séamus.
McGreehan, Erin.
Moran, Kevin Boxer.
Moynihan, Aindrias.
Moynihan, Michael.
Moynihan, Shane.
Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
Murphy, Michael.
Naughton, Hildegarde.
Neville, Joe.
O'Brien, Darragh.
O'Callaghan, Jim.
O'Connell, Maeve.
O'Dea, Willie.
O'Donnell, Kieran.
O'Meara, Ryan.
O'Shea, John Paul.
O'Sullivan, Christopher.
Ó Cearúil, Naoise.
Ó Fearghaíl, Seán.
Ó Muirí, Naoise.
Richmond, Neale.
Scanlon, Eamon.
Smith, Brendan.
Smyth, Niamh.
Timmins, Edward.
Toole, Gillian.
Troy, Robert.
Ward, Barry.

Níl

Ahern, Ciarán.
Bacik, Ivana.
Bennett, Cathy.
Boyd Barrett, Richard.
Brady, John.
Buckley, Pat.
Byrne, Joanna.
Carthy, Matt.
Clarke, Sorca.
Collins, Michael.
Conway-Walsh, Rose.
Coppinger, Ruth.
Cronin, Réada.
Crowe, Seán.
Cullinane, David.
Cummins, Jen.
Daly, Pa.
Devine, Máire.
Doherty, Pearse.
Donnelly, Paul.
Farrell, Mairéad.
Fitzmaurice, Michael.
Gannon, Gary.
Gibney, Sinéad.
Gogarty, Paul Nicholas.
Gould, Thomas.
Graves, Ann.
Guirke, Johnny.
Hayes, Eoin.
Hearne, Rory.
Kelly, Alan.
Kenny, Eoghan.
Kenny, Martin.
Kerrane, Claire.
Lawless, Paul.
Lawlor, George.
Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
McDonald, Mary Lou.
McGettigan, Donna.
McGuinness, Conor D.
Mitchell, Denise.
Murphy, Paul.
Mythen, Johnny.
Nash, Ged.
Newsome Drennan, Natasha.
Ní Raghallaigh, Shónagh.
Nolan, Carol.
O'Callaghan, Cian.
O'Donoghue, Robert.
O'Flynn, Ken.
O'Gorman, Roderic.
O'Hara, Louis.
O'Reilly, Louise.
O'Rourke, Darren.
Ó Broin, Eoin.
Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
Ó Súilleabháin, Fionntán.
Quaide, Liam.
Quinlivan, Maurice.
Rice, Pádraig.
Sheehan, Conor.
Sherlock, Marie.
Stanley, Brian.
Tóibín, Peadar.
Wall, Mark.
Ward, Mark.
Whitmore, Jennifer.

Staon

Tellers: Tá, Deputies Mary Butler and Emer Currie; Níl, Deputies Alan Kelly and Conor Sheehan.

Amendment declared carried.

Question put: "That the motion, as amended, be agreed to."

The Dáil divided: Tá, 79; Níl, 69; Staon, 0.

Tá

Aird, William.
Ardagh, Catherine.
Boland, Grace.
Brabazon, Tom.
Brennan, Brian.
Brennan, Shay.
Brophy, Colm.
Browne, James.
Burke, Colm.
Burke, Peter.
Butler, Mary.
Buttimer, Jerry.
Byrne, Malcolm.
Byrne, Thomas.
Cahill, Michael.
Callaghan, Catherine.
Calleary, Dara.
Canney, Seán.
Carrigy, Micheál.
Cleere, Peter 'Chap'.
Collins, Niall.
Cooney, Joe.
Crowe, Cathal.
Currie, Emer.
Daly, Martin.
Dempsey, Aisling.
Devlin, Cormac.
Dillon, Alan.
Dolan, Albert.
Dooley, Timmy.
Feighan, Frankie.
Fleming, Sean.
Foley, Norma.
Gallagher, Pat the Cope.
Grealish, Noel.
Harkin, Marian.
Healy-Rae, Michael.
Heneghan, Barry.
Heydon, Martin.
Higgins, Emer.
Keogh, Keira.
Lahart, John.
Lawless, James.
Lowry, Michael.
Maxwell, David.
McAuliffe, Paul.
McCarthy, Noel.
McConalogue, Charlie.
McCormack, Tony.
McEntee, Helen.
McGrath, Séamus.
McGreehan, Erin.
Moran, Kevin Boxer.
Moynihan, Aindrias.
Moynihan, Michael.
Moynihan, Shane.
Murnane O'Connor, Jennifer.
Murphy, Michael.
Naughton, Hildegarde.
Neville, Joe.
O'Brien, Darragh.
O'Callaghan, Jim.
O'Connell, Maeve.
O'Dea, Willie.
O'Donnell, Kieran.
O'Meara, Ryan.
O'Shea, John Paul.
O'Sullivan, Christopher.
Ó Cearúil, Naoise.
Ó Fearghaíl, Seán.
Ó Muirí, Naoise.
Richmond, Neale.
Scanlon, Eamon.
Smith, Brendan.
Smyth, Niamh.
Timmins, Edward.
Toole, Gillian.
Troy, Robert.
Ward, Barry.

Níl

Ahern, Ciarán.
Bacik, Ivana.
Bennett, Cathy.
Boyd Barrett, Richard.
Brady, John.
Buckley, Pat.
Byrne, Joanna.
Carthy, Matt.
Clarke, Sorca.
Collins, Michael.
Conway-Walsh, Rose.
Coppinger, Ruth.
Cronin, Réada.
Crowe, Seán.
Cullinane, David.
Cummins, Jen.
Daly, Pa.
Devine, Máire.
Doherty, Pearse.
Donnelly, Paul.
Farrell, Mairéad.
Fitzmaurice, Michael.
Gannon, Gary.
Gibney, Sinéad.
Gogarty, Paul Nicholas.
Gould, Thomas.
Graves, Ann.
Guirke, Johnny.
Hayes, Eoin.
Hearne, Rory.
Kelly, Alan.
Kenny, Eoghan.
Kenny, Martin.
Kerrane, Claire.
Lawless, Paul.
Lawlor, George.
Mac Lochlainn, Pádraig.
McDonald, Mary Lou.
McGettigan, Donna.
McGuinness, Conor D.
Mitchell, Denise.
Murphy, Paul.
Mythen, Johnny.
Nash, Ged.
Newsome Drennan, Natasha.
Ní Raghallaigh, Shónagh.
Nolan, Carol.
O'Callaghan, Cian.
O'Donoghue, Robert.
O'Flynn, Ken.
O'Gorman, Roderic.
O'Hara, Louis.
O'Reilly, Louise.
O'Rourke, Darren.
Ó Broin, Eoin.
Ó Laoghaire, Donnchadh.
Ó Murchú, Ruairí.
Ó Snodaigh, Aengus.
Ó Súilleabháin, Fionntán.
Quaide, Liam.
Quinlivan, Maurice.
Rice, Pádraig.
Sheehan, Conor.
Sherlock, Marie.
Stanley, Brian.
Tóibín, Peadar.
Wall, Mark.
Ward, Mark.
Whitmore, Jennifer.

Staon

Tellers: Tá, Deputies Mary Butler and Emer Currie; Níl, Deputies Alan Kelly and Conor Sheehan.

Question declared carried.

Dáil Éireann díospóireacht - Wednesday, 25 Mar 2026