Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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813. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of persons recruited to An Garda Síochána in each of the past five years and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [47767/23]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities – and strengthening An Garda Síochána is at the core of that. We will continue to provide An Garda Síochána with the resources it needs to ensure communities around Ireland are safe and feel safe.

The unprecedented allocation of over €2 billion for 2023 and a further €2.3 billion for 2024 to An Garda Síochána demonstrates the Government's commitment to ensuring An Garda Síochána has provision for the equipment, technology, facilities, fleet and personnel it needs to carry out vital policing work.

This level of funding is providing for a steady pipeline of new Gardaí, with new recruits entering the Garda College approximately every 11 weeks. Whilst the necessary temporary closure of the Garda College during the Covid-19 pandemic put an unfortunate pause on recruitment, the number of recruits has continued to grow in each class following the re-opening of the college.

As the Deputy will be aware, under the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the administration and management of An Garda Síochána, including for the recruitment, training and deployment of Garda members. As Minister, I have no role in such matters. I am however assured that the Commissioner keeps the allocation of these resources under continued review, in line with crime and population trends, to ensure their optimum use.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that since the reopening of the Garda College in September 2014, a total of 4,243 new recruits have attested as Gardaí and been assigned to duties nationwide. This includes the 237 Probationer Gardaí who have attested this year.

The table below sets out the number of Gardaí attested by year since 2019 up to 13 October 2023 (the date of the latest attestation).

Further detailed information in relation to the allocation of Probationer Gardaí by Division and Station can be found at the following link: www.gov.ie/en/publication/bd777-an-garda-siochana-your-police-service-some-facts-and-figures/

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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814. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí who took early retirement in each of the past five years and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [47768/23]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes all internal HR Garda matters and the recruitment and retention of Garda members. As Minister, I have no role in this matter.

The following table, provided to me by the Garda authorities, outlines the number of Gardaí who availed of early retirements in each of the past five years, and to date in 2023. Cost Neutral Early Retirements allow a member who has reached the age of fifty with less than the minimum thirty years’ service to retire early with a reduced pension and gratuity.

Early Retirements as of 31 October 2023

As the Deputy may already be aware, exact data is not released by An Garda Síochána for counts less than 10 for data protection reasons.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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815. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí who have left the force in each of the past five years and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [47769/23]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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As the Deputy will be aware, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána. This includes all internal HR Garda matters and the recruitment and retention of Garda members. As Minister, I have no role in this matter.

The below table, provided to me by the Garda authorities, outlines the number of Gardaí who have left the service in each of the past five years, and to date in 2023. Figures include Voluntary Retirements, Compulsory Retirements, Cost Neutral Early Retirements, Resignations, Dismissals, Deaths in Service and Medical Discharges.

Garda Member Departures as of 31 October, 2023

As the Deputy may already be aware, exact data is not released by An Garda Síochána for counts less than 10 for data protection reasons.

Peadar Tóibín (Meath West, Aontú)
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816. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of gardaí who have been assaulted while on duty in each of the past five years and to date in 2023, in tabular form. [47770/23]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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We are all immensely grateful to members of our police service for their outstanding dedication and commitment to serving the public and for the important role that they play in our society.

For the most part, the relationship between Gardaí and the public is one built on very significant trust. We only have to look to the fact that An Garda Síochána is a largely unarmed, and yet hugely effective, community policing service.

As the Deputy will be aware, an assault on a member of An Garda Síochána, a prison officer, a member of the fire brigade, ambulance personnel, or a member of the Defence Forces is already an offence under section 19 of the Criminal Justice (Public Order) Act 1994.

A person convicted of such an offence is currently liable to a fine, or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 7 years, or both. The latter penalty was increased from a maximum term of 5 years in 2006.

However, the Government is committed to taking further action to protect Gardaí and frontline workers as necessary. To this end I recently announced a range of tougher sentences for existing offences under the Criminal Justices (Miscellaneous Provisions) Act 2023. This sees the maximum sentence for assaulting or threatening to assault a Garda or other on duty emergency workers increased from 7 to 12 years

These changes will send a very clear message that attacks on frontline workers will not be tolerated, and will be dealt with robustly.

The table below, furnished to me by the Garda authorities, outlines the number of Gardaí who have been assaulted while on active duty in the State in each year of the past five years and to date in 2023, as requested by the Deputy.

Number of Gardaí who reported sustaining an occupational injury as a result of being assaulted 2018 to date (as of 27/10/2023)