Minister for Justice Jim O’Callaghan welcomes attestation of 154 new Gardaí
- Published on: 22 August 2025
- Last updated on: 22 August 2025
- Minister O’Callaghan welcomes attestation of new Gardaí and commends their commitment to public service
- 154 Gardaí – 32 women and 122 men – will now be assigned to Garda Divisions across the country
- New class of 201 Garda recruits to enter the Garda College next week
The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Jim O’Callaghan welcomed the attestation of 154 new Gardaí at a ceremony in the Garda College in Templemore today.
Speaking at the Garda College, Minister O’Callaghan said:
“We are fortunate in this country that every community wants to see more Gardaí visible in their area. It is one of the most effective measures we have for preventing crime and making people feel safer.
“Attitudes and approaches to policing must continue to adapt to the world we live in. However, what it means to be a Garda remains the same. Our new Gardaí have made a commitment to public service and to keeping people in their communities safe. I want to thank them for making that commitment and wish them the very best as they begin their careers with An Garda Síochána.”
Of the 154 attesting today, 122 are men and 32 are women.
The new probationer Gardaí will now begin their careers in An Garda Síochána and will be assigned to Garda Divisions across the country by the Garda Commissioner.
This will be the largest allocation of probationer Gardaí to Regions outside of Dublin in the past year, with the majority being assigned to communities in the South and Northwest. 45 of the new Gardaí will be deployed in the Dublin Metropolitan Region, with 66 going to the Southern Region, including 20 Probationer Gardaí each for stations in Limerick City and Cork City respectively.
Minister O’Callaghan added:
“I am also extremely pleased that a new class of 201 Garda recruits will enter the Garda College next week to begin their training.”
“An increased and visible Garda presence is central to the government's aim to build safe and secure communities. The high number of applications for recent Garda recruitment campaigns is evidence of the strong interest that there is to join and serve in An Garda Síochána.
“Ensuring An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs is a key priority for me. I look forward to working with the new Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly to further strengthen An Garda Síochána so that it is well placed to deal with the challenges ahead, as per our commitment in the Programme for Government. I also want to take this opportunity today on his last attestation before he retires on September 1st, to once again thank outgoing Garda Commissioner Drew Harris for his hard work, commitment and dedication over the past seven years. He has implemented some of the widest ranging reforms of the organisation in its history and leaves a legacy of tangible improvements.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
423 new Gardaí have attested from the Garda College in 2025 so far, with a further attestation scheduled for November.
371 trainees have entered the Garda College so in 2025, with a further intake due to begin training next week.
The government is committed to building stronger, safer communities, and strengthening An Garda Síochána is at the core of that. This is reflected in the unprecedented allocation of over €2.48 billion to An Garda Síochána in Budget 2025, a 27% increase since 2020. This funding allows for the continued recruitment of Garda members and staff.
The Programme for Government commits to examining a range of further measures to enable An Garda Síochána recruit 5,000 members across the next five years.
The latest Garda recruitment campaign ran from 7 February 2025 and closed on 27 February. 6,784 people applied as part of the competition.