Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

203. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the cost of training 100 new Garda recruits; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [14786/18]

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

The Deputy will be aware that it is the Garda Commissioner who is responsible for carrying on and managing and controlling generally the administration and business of An Garda Síochána, including by arranging for the recruitment and training of the members of An Garda Síochána. I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter.

I have been informed by the Garda authorities that annual costs for new Garda recruits include 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 €29,669 rising to a maximum of €51,693 per annum after 19 years.

I am further informed that the cost of training recruits is subsumed into the overall training costs of the Garda College and as such are not easily identifiable on a separate basis. The total cost of running the Garda College in 2017 was approximately €32m, which includes the salary costs of all College personnel and other establishment costs.