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

The numbers we have are certainly not where I would like them to be.

Due to the fact that the college was closed to new recruits, it meant no new recruits were going through the college for a period of almost two years. This means we are approximately 1,000 short of where we should be and certainly where I would like to be. That is a challenge. It poses a challenge to the overall running and management of An Garda Síochána. In saying that, our figures are higher than they were a number of years prior to the Covid-19 pandemic, but we have more specialist teams and more teams working in specialist areas, which means the gardaí on the beat and that visible presence are where people are maybe feeling the stretch. That is something that we, and the Commissioner, are constantly trying to respond to.

On trying to get numbers into the Garda college, we have committed an unprecedented allocation of €2.3 billion in the budget. Money has never been an issue as regards getting members into the college. The required funding has been allocated. We have had two recruitment campaigns since the reopening of the college to new recruits. The first resulted in 12,000 people who applied, 5,000 applied following the most recent campaign, and we will have a new campaign early in the new year. We have increased the accommodation allowance for the new trainees by two thirds. I would like to go further and keep moving but it was increased by two thirds for this year, which reflects the fact that members are in the college and some of them have mortgages to pay and families. The rate they had been on was not sufficient.

We have also increased the age at which members can join An Garda Síochána. The new recruitment campaign in the new year will include the increase in the age limit from 35 years to 50 years. On the other side of things, and in response to a previous question, the retirement age is currently 60, but I anticipate that will be increased in the very near future, reflecting the fact that we are losing a number of skilled people. People are healthier, fitter and are living much healthier lives for longer.

Overall, we cannot just look at people going in. We need to make sure that we also support people who are there. That is why exit interviews are taking place at present. It is to make sure that where people are raising concerns, be they of a structural or support nature, or any other type, we will be able to respond as effectively as possible.

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