Dáil Éireann Debate, Tuesday - 27 January 2026
159. Deputy Joe Neville asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the current number of trainee and qualified Gardaí, respectively, in the force as of 1 January 2026; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [6178/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraGetting more Gardaí on our streets to prevent and detect crime is my first priority as Minister. This Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs, with Budget 2026 providing unprecedented funding of over €2.7 billion to support recruitment and staffing.
At the end of November, the total Garda personnel strength stood at over 18,000, which included 14,462 Gardaí, 3,486 Garda Staff, and 308 Reserves.
The number of Gardaí will continue to increase over the coming months as trainees currently in Templemore complete their training and attest from the Garda College.
Overall, just under 800 trainees entered the Garda College in 2025, the highest number since 2018. I am informed by Garda authorities that there were 588 trainee Gardaí in the Garda College as of 30 November.* These trainees are from the last three intakes. I am also pleased to confirm that the next attestation is scheduled for the first week of February.
*placeholder - awaiting AGS obs to confirm
I am determined to ensure that we maintain a strong pipeline of recruits to Templemore.
To that end, and for the first time ever, there were two Garda recruitment competitions held last year. There was significant interest in both competitions, with over 11,000 people applying to join An Garda Síochána. This demonstrates that there is a strong and sustained interest in a career as a Garda amongst the public.
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.
I also want to see the numbers of civilian Garda Staff grow so that Gardaí can be released to the front-line and so that An Garda Síochána can avail of expertise in areas such as IT, to meet the challenges of an increasingly complex criminal landscape. I also want to see more Garda Reserves recruited to boost visible policing in our cities and towns.
I will continue to work with the Garda Commissioner to ensure progress on all fronts to ensure that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs to keep people safe.
