Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)

The programme for Government commitment is that we will recruit 5,000 gardaí during the five-year term of the Government. I am not too worried about whether we get to 1,000 each year and if they are evenly spread over the five years. The priority is to get to 5,000. We need to increase the numbers within the force.

On the retention crisis, the number of resignations from An Garda Síochána is pretty small. In 2024, approximately only 1% of attested members of An Garda Síochána resigned from the force. That is a pretty low number when compared to the PSNI or other police forces in the UK.

On the future, I am trying to recruit as many gardaí this year as possible. I cannot give the Deputy a figure now as to how many but I ask him to give me some ideas. When I was on the backbenches, I suggested proposals such as increasing the age that someone could join to above 35 and extending the retirement age. I am open to Deputy Carthy's ideas.

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