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- Age limit to apply to be a Garda trainee increased from 35 to 50
- Garda Commissioner calls for people from all background and communities to apply to become a Garda
- An Garda Síochána is attracting candidates working in police services abroad and from other careers (see testimonials below)
The latest Garda recruitment competition has opened today and will run until 15.00 on 8 February 2024.
The competition will be operated by the Public Appointments Service on behalf of An Garda Síochána.
Candidates can apply at www.publicjobs.ie.
Following a Government decision, the age limit to apply to become a Garda trainee has increased from 35 years to 50 from this competition onwards.
In order to provide a steady pipeline of Garda trainees over the coming years, it is intended that Garda recruitment campaigns will run annually.
Commissioner Harris has commented previously on the need to not only meet the Government target of 15,000 Gardaí, but increase Garda numbers even further due to population growth and changing nature of crime. There are currently 13,998 Gardaí (as of 31 December 2023).
Speaking today, Commissioner Drew Harris said:
“Being a Garda is a hugely rewarding but at times tough job. As a Garda you will make a real difference in people’s lives. You will effect positive change in communities. You will keep people safe. You will support victims. You will uphold the law. And, through this valued and exciting work you will see first-hand the impact your actions have on the ground. This is why being a Garda is a job worth doing
Every day, Gardaí keep communities and people safe through our unique approach to policing by consent. It is this approach coupled with a host of career opportunities that has attracted people to become Gardaí. We have even had those who were police officers in other jurisdictions return to retrain as a Garda.
Policing in an ever changing modern and diverse society presents challenges, but equally it affords us opportunities to grow, learn and adapt. This is why An Garda Síochána recognises it too needs to change to meet the needs and demands of the people of Ireland.
Already, we have one of the highest proportion rates of female officers in Europe, but we know there is more to do to meet our aim of being fully representative of the people we serve. That is why we are hoping to attract more candidates from diverse backgrounds as part of this campaign. We want, and need, people from all backgrounds and communities to be Gardaí.
This campaign also sees the age limit increased to 50 years. This provides people who may now want to be Gardaí but thought the opportunity had passed or who are considering a change a career to join An Garda Síochána and make a real and lasting contribution to society.
So, if you are looking for a career in service to the citizens of Ireland, which offers something new day after day, with career progression opportunities, and scope to diversify and specialise in a variety of areas of policing, then we want to hear from you.”
To promote the recruitment competition, a €400,000 (incl. VAT) promotional campaign under the tagline of “It’s A Job Worth Doing” will go live across TV, national and local print and radio, online, social media, and outdoor from 15 January 2024. The campaign will also target Irish people living in countries such as the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand.
The media and creative for the advertising campaign was produced by Core and Spark Foundry in conjunction with H2 Films in 2023.
In 2023, 746 people commenced training to be a Garda with 388 Gardaí attested.
The next group of Gardaí to attest will be in April 2024.
Newly Attested Gardaí On Why They Joined An Garda Síochána
“It’s something I always wanted to do. I wanted to join when I was 18 but unfortunately there was no recruitment back then so I moved to Australia and joined the police and I came back from Australia in April for the 2023 campaign.
What I’d say to those considering joining is to go for it. It’s a challenging career, no two days are the same, we have learned so much in Templemore to prepare us for what’s to come, so you have to be resilient and push through it and go for it.
Garda Lorraine Delahunty from County Laois, stationed in Limerick City.
“I always wanted to join the Guards. I was in the Army since 2013 and I felt I had a lot of traits I could carry over, and again there is the chance for promotion. What I would say to those looking to join is obviously I’m mature coming in, so it is daunting enough coming in at my age. I thought academically I mightn’t be able for it, but there is lots of support here. The staff in the College are absolutely brilliant. I’d just say give it a shot, it’s definitely worth doing”.
Jonathan O’Dowd from Wicklow stationed in DMR East
Minister for Justice welcomes new Garda recruitment campaign
- Significant increase in training allowance
- New trainees to receive €305 per week
- Change to age requirements opens role to 35 to 50 year olds for first time
The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD, has welcomed the new recruitment campaign for An Garda Síochána, which opens for applications today and closes on Thursday 8 February.
Noting that recruitment into An Garda Síochána has accelerated following the forced closure of the Garda College to intakes due to Covid-19, the Minister said:
“I am very pleased to see Garda recruits once again regularly entering training at Templemore, and this competition will ensure there is a continuous pipeline of new trainees.
As a government we allocated the highest ever budget of €2.3 billion to An Garda Síochána for 2024.That included funding for between 800 and 1,000 new Gardaí, and I hope, and indeed expect, that there willbe a strong response to this campaign.
I encourage anyone who believes they can make a positive contribution as a Garda to consider putting their name forward.
Policing is a career in which no two days will be the same – it can be exciting, rewarding and undoubtedly challenging, but it offers a great opportunity to have a positive impact in the community and to be a part of a modern, inclusive police service that has the respect and trust of the Irish public.”
The last Garda recruitment campaign which closed in April 2023 received approximately 5,000 applications.
Both the Government and Garda Commissioner have said they are committed to reflecting the increasing diversity in Irish Society by ensuring that all communities see themselves reflected in An Garda Síochána. The Garda Commissioner has also put a strong focus on equality, diversity and inclusion and encourages applications from people of all backgrounds to join An Garda Síochána through this campaign.
Noting recent changes made to the eligibility requirements and increased training allowance, Minister McEntee added:
“We have significantly increased the training allowance for trainee Gardaí, to €305 per week. Given that, and the decision to increase the maximum age of recruitment from 35 to 50, I believe we are opening up policing as a career option to a new cohort of people who will bring a range of different life and career experiences to the table.
Across 2023 we have seen recruitment into An Garda Síochána gain real momentum. And with unprecedented funding recently allocated for equipment and wellbeing initiatives, and recent increases in frontline supervisors, I believe those who join will be supported as they take on what I know can be a challenging job.
Our Gardaí do vital work every day investigating crime, supporting victims and maintaining the security of the state. Given that my top priority is building stronger, safer communities, I want to express my gratitude to them for their outstanding dedication and commitment and I hope this competition will lead to many more joining their ranks.”
Prospective candidates can visit publicjobs.ie for more information on how to apply. The Closing Date for the competition is Thursday 8th February 2024.