Minister for Justice Mr Jim O’Callaghan welcomes attestation of 154 new Gardaí.
- Attestation of new Gardaí are commended for their commitment to public service.
- 154 Gardaí – 32 women and 122 men – will now be assigned to Garda Divisions across the country.
- New class of 201 Garda recruits to enter the Garda College next week.
The Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, Mr Jim O’Callaghan welcomed the attestation of 154 new Gardaí, from 26 different countries, at a ceremony in the Garda College in Templemore, Co. Tipperary today.
Five who were due to graduate today were suspended and are being investigated for alleged bullying after another recruit was attacked and handcuffed in the showers.
The oldest is a 50-year-old League of Ireland referee from Co Tyrone, Mr Michael Connolly, and the youngest is 19-year-old Ms Hannah Egan who did her Leaving Cert just two years ago.
Speaking at the Garda College, Minister O’Callaghan stated: “We are fortunate in this country that every community wants to see more Gardaí visible in their area. It is one of the most effective measures we have for preventing crime and making people feel safer. Attitudes and approaches to policing must continue to adapt to the world we live in. However, what it means to be a Garda remains the same. Our new Gardaí have made a commitment to public service and to keeping people in their communities safe. I want to thank them for making that commitment and wish them the very best as they begin their careers with An Garda Síochána.”
Of the 154 attesting today, 122 are men and 32 are women and of today’s graduation class, 66 gardaí are to be assigned to the south of the country, including 20 to Cork city.
The new probationer Gardaí will now begin their careers in An Garda Síochána and will be assigned to Garda Divisions across the country by the Garda Commissioner Mr Drew Harris.
This will be the largest allocation of probationer Gardaí to Regions outside of Dublin in the past year, with the majority being assigned to communities in the South and Northwest. 45 of the new Gardaí will be deployed in the Dublin Metropolitan Region, with 66 going to the Southern Region, including 20 Probationer Gardaí each for stations in Limerick City and Cork City respectively.
Minister O’Callaghan added: “I am also extremely pleased that a new class of 201 Garda recruits will enter the Garda College next week to begin their training. An increased and visible Garda presence is central to the government’s aim to build safe and secure communities. The high number of applications for recent Garda recruitment campaigns is evidence of the strong interest that there is to join and serve in An Garda Síochána.
Ensuring An Garda Síochána has the resources it needs is a key priority for me. I look forward to working with the new Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly to further strengthen An Garda Síochána so that it is well placed to deal with the challenges ahead, as per our commitment in the Programme for Government. I also want to take this opportunity today on his last attestation before he retires on September 1st, to once again thank outgoing Garda Commissioner Drew Harris for his hard work, commitment and dedication over the past seven years. He has implemented some of the widest ranging reforms of the organisation in its history and leaves a legacy of tangible improvements”.
The strength of An Garda Síochána now stands at 14,408 sworn officers and Commissioner Harris today presided over his last graduation as Garda Commissioner before newly appointed Mr Justin Kelly takes over officially on September 1st next.
GARDAI BADLY NEEDED