Press release
Minister for Justice Helen McEntee welcomes attestation of 87 new Garda members
Published on
Last updated on
Published on
Last updated on
The Minister for Justice Helen McEntee has welcomed the attestation of 87 members of An Garda Síochána at the Garda College, Templemore, today. The newly attested members have now completed their training and will be assigned to Garda Divisions throughout the country.
Minister McEntee said:
“I want to sincerely thank and commend all of the new recruits today for their commitment to carry out the mission of An Garda Síochána of keeping people safe.
"This cohort of new Gardaí were recruited through the 2022 recruitment campaign. Another recruitment competition closed earlier this year and I am pleased to see sustained high level of interest in a career in An Garda Síochána. Policing is certainly a challenging profession, but it is one of public service and a job worth doing.
"It is a great privilege as Minister for Justice to come to Templemore to welcome and congratulate our newest Garda members, and I look forward to coming back every three months as we see attestations pick up pace again after the resumption of training following COVID restrictions.
"An Garda Síochána have a proud tradition of serving communities and protecting the State. In return for that commitment, it is the role of Government to support the work of An Garda Síochána and we are committed to providing that support by way of unprecedented funding and legislative reform that will better protect Gardaí and also better support them in tackling crime and keeping communities safe.
"I wish the new recruits every success in their careers.”
Budget 2023 reflects the commitment of Government to ensuring that our communities are safe and that An Garda Síochána has the resources required to operate effectively. The budget provided by Government to the Garda Commissioner continues to increase to unprecedented levels, with an allocation of more than €2 billion for 2023.
While recruitment was significantly impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, today’s group of new recruits is one in a steady stream of groups which will continue to join the ranks of An Garda Síochána regularly throughout this year and the years to come.
The first recruits from the 2023 recruitment campaign will begin their training in Templemore on 31 July.
Of the 87 attesting today, 69 are men and 18 are women. 7 of the new recruits were born outside of the State, from Spain, England, Northern Ireland, America and Lithuania.
There was a very strong interest in this year’s Garda recruitment campaign with almost 5,000 applications received.
The recruitment process is continuing to identify candidates to enter the Garda College over the coming period.
In accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes responsibility for the deployment of Garda members throughout the State.