Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I will briefly outline the three ways in which we are helping to attract new members. We have expanded diversity teams within the Garda, meaning that we have dedicated gardaí to reach out to various communities. This creates a link or trust that might not have existed before. Building these relationships encourages people to see a career in the Garda where they might not have previously.

There is a fantastic graduate programme, which focuses on school leavers and those in their transition or leaving certificate years in particular. A fantastic and diverse group of graduates are coming through each class. I met some of them. It is important that this continue, as many of them see themselves working in the Garda in the long term and subsequently apply to the recruitment campaigns. An Irish language strategy has been published by the Garda with the sole ambition of having as many members as possible from Gaeltacht areas or with a proficiency in the Irish language working on the front line.

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