The Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and allocation of Garda resources. I am assured by the Commissioner that when allocating Garda resources, consideration is given to commitments and undertakings outlined in the Annual Policing Plan. The requirements of all Garda Divisions nationwide are also taken into account, which include:
• Local and national crime trends and workloads
• Policing arrangements and operational strategies
• Local population and trends, geographical area and size
• Transfer applications, including welfare, personnel issues and concerns.
It should be noted that an Garda Síochána do not police on the basis of county boundaries, but rather on a divisional one, and see stations as locations within communities for people to attend, and for resources to be accommodated. Policing for an area will be delivered using all resources in a Community Engagement Area and supported by divisional resources and units.
As Minister, it is my role to support the Commissioner in ensuring he has the funding he needs for vital policing work, and this Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs. Budget 2026 provides unprecedented funding of €2.74 billion to support recruitment and staffing. This will support recruitment of up to 1,000 Gardai, 200 more Garda staff and additional members of the Garda Reserve.
Over 11,000 people applied to join An Garda Síochána in 2025 and just under 800 trainees entered the Garda College last year, the highest number since 2018. 619 Probationer Gardaí attested from the College in 2025 and to-date in 2026 a further 360 Gardaí have attested.
I am determined to ensure that we have a steady pipeline of new recruits into the Garda college so that we can see more Gardaí assigned all around the country. Along with the Commissioner, I launched this year's Garda recruitment campaign on Monday, 11 May. The campaign will close on 3 June and I encourage anyone with an interest in a career as a Garda member to apply through publicjobs.
I am informed that as of March 2026, there are 661 Gardaí assigned to the Clare/Tipperary division. I am further informed by the Garda authorities that 27 Probationer Gardaí have been assigned to stations in Clare/Tipperary Division since January 2025, including 11 to training stations in Clare and 16 to training stations Tipperary.
An Garda Síochána publishes information in relation to the allocation of Garda personnel nationally, including a breakdown of Garda divisions and stations nationwide. This includes a breakdown of Garda Members and Staff assigned by Garda Station from 2010 to the end of March 2026, the latest date for which figures are available. This can be found at the following links:
2026 www.garda.ie/en/about-us/our-departments/human-resources-and-people-development/garda-hr-directorate/garda-strength-breakdown-2026/garda-strength-breakdown-2026.html
2014-2025 www.garda.ie/en/about-us/our-departments/human-resources-and-people-development/garda-hr-directorate/garda-strength-breakdown-2025/garda-strength-breakdown-2025.html
