Tommy Broughan (Dublin Bay North, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

315. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the estimated cost in 2018 of recruiting an additional 1,000 gardaí; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [32591/17]

Charles Flanagan (Laois, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

I have been informed by the Garda authorities that the cost of recruiting an additional 1,000 Gardaí is some €18.5 million.

The annual cost for new Garda recruits includes a basic weekly allowance of €184. After 32 weeks of training, Garda recruits are attested and move on to the first point of the Garda pay scale €28,405, rising to a maximum of €50,448 per annum after 19 years. They may also qualify for other allowances depending on their assignments. For the purposes of this calculation, the costs are based on basic salary plus employer PRSI but do not include any allowances that the members may be entitled to after being attested. In addition, a commencement date of 1 January 2018 is assumed in order to provide full year costs. The cost of recruitment and training recruits are subsumed into the overall training costs of the Garda College and are not easily identifiable.

This Government is committed to ensuring a strong and visible police presence throughout the country in order to maintain and strengthen community engagement, provide reassurance to citizens and deter crime. To make this a reality for all, the Government has in place a plan to achieve an overall Garda workforce of 21,000 personnel by 2021 comprising 15,000 Garda members, 2,000 Reserve members and 4,000 civilians. In 2017, funding has been provided for the recruitment of 800 Garda recruits and up to 500 civilians to support the wide ranging reform plan in train in An Garda Síochána. Funding has also been provided for the recruitment of 300 Garda Reserves.

Just recently a class of 198 Garda trainees attested as members of An Garda Síochána - the largest class to attest since the Garda College reopened in September 2014. This brings the number of new recruits who have attested since the College reopened to almost 1,200, with another 400 scheduled to attest later this year. This will bring Garda numbers to 13,500 by year-end once projected retirements are taken into account, an increase of 500 over last year and represents real progress on reaching our target of 15,000 members by 2021.