Paul McAuliffe
Ceist:367. Deputy Paul McAuliffe asked the Minister for Justice the number of applicants who applied to be members of An Garda Síochána in its latest recruitment phase. [28652/24]
Amharc ar fhreagraThursday, 4 July 2024
Ceisteanna (367)
Freagraí scríofa
The unprecedented allocation of over €2 billion for 2023 and €2.35 billion for 2024 to An Garda Síochána demonstrates the Government's commitment to ensuring An Garda Síochána has provision to recruit the personnel it needs to carry out its vital policing work. This funding allows for the continued recruitment of Garda members and staff.
As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business under Section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), including the recruitment and training of Garda members and staff.
A Garda recruitment competition was launched on 15 January and closed for applications on 8 February. The response to the latest Garda recruitment campaign has been very strong. I am advised by the Garda authorities that 6,360 applicants were brought forward to stage 1 of the 2024 recruitment campaign which is a significant increase on the 5,000 people who applied last year.
I am delighted to see that so many people want to join An Garda Síochána, particularly with the strong response from people aged between 35 and 50. Well over a third of the applications were in that age group following the increase of the maximum entry age from 35 to 50.
The number of recruits in the Garda training college continue to increase; a total of 746 trainees entered the training college in 2023. This is the highest intake in any year since 2018.
An intake of 157 trainees entered the Garda College on 1st July. This is the second of four intakes planned for April, July, September and December of this year.
Recruitment into An Garda Síochána has accelerated following the closure of the Garda College to new intakes under Public Health restrictions, and the Government is determined that An Garda Síochána grows to 15,000 members and beyond.