Martin Kenny (Sligo-Leitrim, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

1. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality if she will provide an update on any plans her Department has to remedy the crisis in garda retention. [60923/22]

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

Will the Minister provide an update on any plans the Department has to remedy the crisis in garda retention? There has been a significant issue with garda recruitment and retention for some time but it is getting increasingly worse. I am concerned that if this continues, we will be left with a significant shortage of gardaí, particularly in Dublin where numbers have reduced by 18% since 2009. My colleague Deputy Martin Kenny recently discussed the issue with the Garda Commissioner. Does the Minister have any plans to remedy the situation?

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | 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.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I agree it is challenging work and many of the newer recruits look forward to that. However, we see that large numbers of the resignations are coming from those who were recruited since 2015. It was usual for six to eight recruits to leave per year but we are now in a situation where that number of gardaí are resigning every few months. Increasingly, gardaí tell me the job does not meet their expectations. They find there are layers of bureaucracy. For example, if they are involved in investigating a minor case, they have to scan their notebook, input to the PULSE system and then input to the investigation management system. This is even required for cases such as material damage in a road traffic accident. That is before we ever get to the matter of the cut in gratuities, wages and terms and conditions in a tough job.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The number of people retiring is very small when it is taken in the context of overall Garda numbers. In 2018, there were 0.5% retirements, and in 2022, the number is 0.7%. When we take account of the overall Garda numbers, the number of retirements is relatively small. We continue to provide resources. As the Deputy will be aware, resource management, including succession planning, is a matter for the Commissioner. The Government has provided the funding to allow for sustained recruitment and is committed to ensuring An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs. I am advised that 149 Garda members are eligible for compulsory retirement in 2023 and up to an additional 695 members will be eligible for voluntary retirement. This means a total of 844 Garda members will be eligible to retire in 2023. However, only a portion of those eligible will take up the opportunity in the year in question, and Garda management has indicated it plans for tranches of approximately 200 trainees to enter the college every 11 weeks throughout 2023.

Pa Daly (Kerry, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

That is an interesting statistic the Minister has given. On a rough sketch of the numbers an increase from 0.5 % to 0.7% means an additional 280 gardaí retiring if the overall number is 14,000. Figures available from An Garda Síochána state that approximately 400 to 450 retire yearly and the number of new recruits is simply not covering the number of gardaí retiring. Furthermore, we have a significant issue in retention. While six to eight gardaí used to leave per year, those numbers are leaving every few months. In particular, a number seem to be leaving the Dublin region and others are resisting a transfer to the area. I recently heard of four newly recruited gardaí in Wicklow leaving around the same time. Gardaí who resign cite a number of reasons but top of the pile are a lack of work-life balance, expectations not matching the reality, and an increase year on year in the level of bureaucracy and paperwork they have to undertake.

Heather Humphreys (Cavan-Monaghan, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

In 2022, there were 101 resignations out of a total Garda force of 14,211. Those are the actual figures. The Deputy mentioned the Dublin metropolitan region. In 2015 there were 590 gardaí in Dublin north central. There are 655 gardaí there in 2022. In Dublin metropolitan area south central in 2015 there were 627 gardaí and on 30 September 2022 there were 692 gardaí. That shows significant increases and we must remember the Garda College in Templemore was closed during the economic crisis and for almost two years during the Covid-19 pandemic. Unfortunately, we were not able to train as many gardaí at that stage but we are working hard to get those numbers back up again.