Budget 2024 aims to boost garda and military strengths
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The Garda budget is set to increase by over €170 million next year — including a €21m pot to recruit “between 800 and 1,000” new gardaí and 250 civilian staff, according to Budget 2024.
Elsewhere in the security sector, funding is being allocated to recruit a “net addition of 400 military personnel”, factoring in retirements, in 2024. It won’t be clear until next year if those numbers become a reality.
A year ago, in Budget 2023, Justice Minister Helen McEntee said “we will see 1,000" garda recruits in 2023, but only 470 have been taken on to date, although another group of students is due in October and another is expected in December.
The 400 net military recruits comes at a time when RACO, the representative body for commissioned officers, estimates that the Defence Forces is at 80% of its current minimum strength (9,500) and 66% of the 11,500 minimum recommended by the Commission on the Defence Forces.
Ms McEntee said An Garda Síochána is getting a “record” allocation of €2.31bn in 2024, up from €2.14bn in 2023. This includes an allocation of €21.5m to recruit between 800 and 1,000 gardaí and 250 additional garda civilian staff, with the garda recruitment campaign due shortly.
The minister announced a 25% increase in Garda overtime — from €105m to €131m. She said the weekly allowance for garda trainees will increase by 66% to €305 and that €6m is being provided for “wellbeing” among gardaí, medical costs and over 2,500 units of body armour.
GRA general secretary Ronan Slevin gave the funding for recruitment "a guarded welcome" and said: "It must be stated that in Budget 2021 we were promised 800 new recruits in 2022 and just under 300 came through Templemore and we were then promised 1,000 recruits for 2023 but we will see just over 600 which barely covers the losses through retirements and resignations."
Meanwhile, a total of €20m extra is being provided for “garda operational expenditure”.
Ms McEntee flagged a number of other initiatives, including an additional €12m for Domestic Sexual and Gender Based Violence and an increase of €3.5m for a new National Office for Community Safety and the roll-out of community safety partnerships.
She said the Community Safety Innovation Fund, which re-invests proceeds of crime to local community projects, increases to €3.75m.
Minister of State James Browne announced a 10% increase, to €33m, in youth justice. He said this will provide “full nationwide coverage of Youth Diversion Projects for the first time” and expand it to weekends and to vulnerable children aged eight to 11.
Some €9m is being provided to restore criminal legal aid fees, an issue that saw barristers strike last week. The Bar of Ireland described it as “an important first step”. An extra €27m is provided for the Prison Service, €2.7m more for GSOC and an additional €2.5m for the Probation Service.
Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe said the Defence allocation is €1.23bn for 2024, involving an additional €55m in expenditure — €21m in current expenditure and €34m capital. He said the funding provides for a “net addition” of 400 military personnel.
Budget documents show the €21m increase in current expenditure comprises €15m towards army pensions and €6m towards recruitment.
The €34m increase in capital expenditure is for defensive equipment and the Naval Service and the Air Corps renewal programme. The Government has pledged to increase the Defence budget to €1.5bn by 2028.