Plan to recruit up to 1,000 gardaí 'realistic', says McEntee
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The budget pledge to recruit between 800 and 1,000 new gardaí is “realistic”, Justice Minister Helen McEntee has said.
Ms McEntee is being provided with €3.5bn for the next year under Budget 2024, with the bulk of this to go towards funding An Garda Síochána.
Finance Minister Michael McGrath and Public Expenditure Minister Paschal Donohoe on Tuesday announced plans to increase the number of gardaí next year by between 800 and 1,000, alongside an increase to the garda trainee allowance to €305.
At a post-budget press conference on Wednesday afternoon, Ms McEntee said that the plans are “realistic”.
She said she wants to have more than 200 trainee gardaí in individual classes, adding that there are likely to be four classes next year. She said money should not be a barrier to that.
Ms McEntee added that working in An Garda Síochána is still seen as a “very viable, a very inviting and a very positive career”.
She said the Government must now focus on attracting additional people to join An Garda Síochána, adding that she is engaging with Garda Commissioner Drew Harris on increasing the maximum age at which people can apply.
“We have to acknowledge that people are living longer and that they’re healthier for longer and that if people 35 or beyond want to join, it gives them the option as well as looking at younger people.”
On new plans to recruit reserve gardaí, Ms McEntee said a recruitment drive, the first since 2017, would be launched shortly.
She added that, at present, the number of people in the Garda Reserve is “not where we’d like them to be”, with just over 360 in the force at present.
Asked how many she wanted to see recruited by the campaign, Ms McEntee said: “I don't have a figure on it but what I would like to see is as many as possible.
“The most important thing here is that we open up the recruitment campaign, that we have the new policy in place, and that we encourage as many people from diverse backgrounds as possible to join.”
On barristers' fee arrangements, Ms McEntee said that any discussion on linking the fees to a new public sector pay deal would come in the weeks ahead.
However, she added that she believes nothing should be “off the table” on the matter.