Matt Carthy
Ceist:37. Deputy Matt Carthy asked the Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration the plans for increasing the Garda training allowance; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [49294/26]
Amharc ar fhreagraWednesday, 1 July 2026
Ceisteanna (37)
Freagraí scríofa
Getting more Gardaí on our streets to prevent and detect crime is my first priority as Minister.
The Programme for Government commits to examining a range of further measures to enable An Garda Síochána recruit 5,000 members over the term of this Government.
This Government is committed to ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs and Budget 2026 provides unprecedented funding of €2.74 billion to the organisation to support it, including in relation to recruitment and staffing.
The Garda Trainee allowance has almost doubled since 2023 from €184 to €354 per week. The most recent increase from €305 to €354 took effect on 1 October 2024.
Insofar as further increases to the allowance are concerned, these will be considered in the normal course and in the context of the overall Garda recruitment situation.
It is worth highlighting that the most recent Garda Trainee recruitment campaign ran from 11 May until 3 June 2026. Over, 4,100 applications were received during this period, demonstrating that a strong interest in An Garda Síochána persists amongst the public.
It is clear that recruitment into An Garda Síochána has consistent momentum. Cohorts of over 200 trainees are now entering Templemore regularly. In the first intake of this year, 215 recruits entered Templemore and a further 201 Trainees entered the College on Monday, 4 May 2026.