Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Deputy for raising this issue. As Minister, I am committed to delivering the necessary resources to bring the number of Garda members to 15,000 and beyond. There is no evidence of an issue in relation to retention of Garda members. Of the 14,211 sworn members, only around 100 in total will resign this year. That is just 0.7% of the total Garda members. Since 2015, the budget for An Garda Síochána has increased by approximately €672 million, or 46%.  This has allowed for sustained and ongoing recruitment. This includes an increase of almost 12% in Garda members throughout the country.

In addition, since 2015, more than 870 Garda members have been freed up from back-office duties to front-line policing because of civilianisation. The Government's commitment to ensuring An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs is underscored by the unprecedented €2.14 billion allocated in budget 2023, which will allow for up to 1,000 new gardaí to be recruited next year, as well as 400 Garda staff. The recruitment campaign for An Garda Síochána in 2022 saw 11,000 people expressing an interest in joining the service. This will provide us with a clear pipeline of recruits. The number of attestations this year so far is 369, which means almost 500 will have completed or begun their training in 2022. I recognise that policing is difficult and challenging work and I know the Commissioner is also conscious of this. A number of programmes have been introduced to support members and I hope these can continue to be expanded in future years.

We are all immensely grateful to our gardaí for their outstanding dedication and commitment to serving the public and for the important role they play in our society.

See this speech in context