Pauline Tully (Sinn Fein)

There is a woman in County Cavan whom I know quite well and whose dream for some time has been to join the Garda.She applied a number of years ago, but due to a bad car accident, she did not pass her fitness and medical examinations. However, she completed the vetting process a number of years ago. She has now passed the medical and fitness examinations but there have been months of delay, with her not being called up to Templemore. She cannot understand this. She has been vetted on a number of occasions, both when she applied to the Garda but also when she applied for her citizenship, which she received in recent years. She is also vetted on an ongoing basis through the Department of justice because of her current employment.

Hers is not an isolated case. I have been contacted before by people who have applied to join the Garda but have been left waiting for months or sometimes longer before being called up, yet people who applied after them were called up before them. We have a shortage of gardaí and we know from the budget that the target is 1,000 recruits a year. That has not been reached. It was not reached in 2023 when there were only 750 recruits. There were only 631 in 2024. According to the evidence, large numbers apply but they are not being called up on time, they lose interest, etc. There are various reasons. We need to look at why people are not joining. Part of it could have to do with the fact that the Garda training allowance is only €354 per week, which is not even minimum wage. In its alternative budget, Sinn Féin proposed increasing it to the minimum wage, which would have brought it up to €579. That increase would recognise that people can join the Garda at a much older age now and may often have families to support.

Senator Kennelly talked about needing gardaí at Hallowe'en to address the antisocial behaviour and dangers involved with fireworks. We do not have gardaí on the ground and in our communities where we need them. We need to take serious measures to address this. The delays in calling up people who are interested in joining just do not make sense. I ask that this be raised with the Minister for justice.