Simon Harris (Wicklow, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I join with the Deputy in welcoming his guest, Ellie, to the Public Gallery.

I assure the Deputy that the Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities across Ireland and key to that is ensuring that An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs. This is reflected in what has been a significant allocation of over €2.14 billion under budget 2023. There are currently just over 14,000 sworn members of An Garda Síochána and a little over 100 gardaí, 109 to be precise, resigned last year. While there has been a very slight increase in this figure in recent years, the rate of resignations represents 0.7% of Garda members and needs to be viewed in that context. We are talking about a figure of less than 1% in terms of resignations from an organisation in a year.

The Deputy may be interested to know some information I think may be important for context at a time when we are encouraging people to join An Garda Síochána and we all want to see more gardaí on the beat and in our specialist units.

It is important to note that the 2022 Garda Síochána culture audit, which was conducted independently of the Garda by the University of Durham, found that job satisfaction is high among gardaí, that they are motivated to serve their communities and that they have pride in the organisation. The significant levels of interest shown in every recruitment campaign is testament to the enduring appeal of a career in An Garda Síochána, notwithstanding the hugely challenging job gardaí do. Huge levels of public support for the Garda were demonstrated in communities up and down the country throughout last year’s centenary celebrations. Again and again since my appointment as Minister, members of the public have attested to their very positive engagement with gardaí, often at times of great personal difficulty. Having said that, we all recognise that policing is difficult, challenging and sometimes very risky work. The Commissioner is also deeply conscious of the daily risks and injuries to his colleagues. A total of 89 gardaí have made the ultimate sacrifice and many more have suffered significant life-altering injuries in the course of their duties. We are immensely grateful to our gardaí for their outstanding dedication and commitment to serving the public and for the vital role they play in keeping people safe.

As the Deputy will appreciate, people may choose to leave an organisation or change careers for a variety of reasons. I believe the relatively low number of resignations from An Garda Síochána must also be seen in the context of the overall state of our economy, with full employment, a highly competitive jobs market and the changing perception of a job for life.

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