Longford Senator welcomes new Garda recruitment campaign

A new Garda recruitment campaign including an increase in training allowance and the expansion of the age requirements from 35 to 50 year olds has been welcomed by a local political representative.

Senator Micheál Carrigy said the announcement by Justice Minister Justice Helen McEntee shows that recruitment into An Garda Síochána has accelerated following the forced closure of the Garda College to intakes due to Covid-19.

The new recruitment campaign for An Garda Síochána opens for applications today and closes on Thursday 8 February.

Senator Carrigy expects large interest for the new positions: “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 will be a strong response to this campaign”.

He said it is a great opportunity for interested parties: “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.

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.

Senator Carrigy concluded: “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.