Thurles Information

An Garda Síochána’s Annual Report 2025 (which can be downloaded here), presents a police service managing major organisational reform, while responding to increasingly complex demands. The year combined visible operational achievements with persistent concerns around road safety, domestic abuse, cybercrime, public order and limited resources. It also marked the beginning of a new governance era following the commencement of the Policing, Security and Community Safety Act and the establishment of the Garda Board.

Workforce growth was one of the clearest priorities. Garda numbers increased by approximately 230 during the year, bringing the organisation’s total strength to 18,405, including 14,425 Gardaí, 308 reserves and 3,672 Garda staff. Two trainee recruitment competitions attracted more than 11,000 applications, while a November intake of 220 trainees was the largest class in a decade. These figures suggest a stronger recruitment pipeline, although the report also makes clear that further growth is necessary to reach the longer-term ambition of more than 15,000 Gardaí.

Community visibility received renewed attention. High-visibility patrols were introduced in Dublin city centre and later extended to suburban Dublin and Cork. The report associates these patrols with reductions in several crime categories and improved reassurance for residents, businesses and visitors. National data also recorded fewer burglaries and robberies in 2025 than in 2024, with burglary incidents falling by 13.2 percent and robbery incidents by 11.8 percent. The wider operating model was fully implemented across all 21 divisions, aiming to deliver more consistent services and improve local access to specialist capabilities, including domestic-abuse and cybercrime expertise.

Organised crime remained a major operational focus. The Garda National Drugs and Organised Crime Bureau, supported by divisional units, seized illicit drugs valued at €126 million, along with more than €2.8 million and £268,860 in cash. A total of 165 arrests were made for offences including drug trafficking, money laundering and firearms crime. One significant maritime operation involving Gardaí, Revenue Customs and the Naval Service recovered 440 kilograms of cocaine valued at approximately €30.8 million. These results demonstrate the growing importance of intelligence-led policing and international cooperation against transnational criminal networks.

Technology and equipment also featured prominently. The Garda fleet reached a record 3,650 vehicles, including 298 electric vehicles, which represented 8.2 percent of the total fleet. A Taser pilot began in December for 128 specially trained frontline Gardaí at four stations, operating alongside body-worn cameras. The Investigation Management System expanded into additional regions, and mobile technology was upgraded to give officers greater access to operational information while on patrol.

Victim protection showed progress but remained an area requiring improvement. A new Victims of Crime Policy was published, the High Risk Victim Support Programme became fully operational in three regions, and a data-sharing agreement with Tusla was completed to strengthen safeguarding for children in care. At the same time, Garda leadership identified domestic abuse, particularly the quality of first contact with victims, as a continuing concern. The report also highlights the increasing misuse of technology in abusive relationships and the need for consistent specialist responses.

Road safety was another serious challenge. Although detections for key offences increased, including a 22 percent rise in speeding detections, road deaths were higher than the previous year. The organisation acknowledged that enforcement, culture, training, structures and equipment all require further attention. This gap between increased enforcement and worsening fatality figures underlines the need for a broader, coordinated response involving Gardaí, transport authorities and road-safety partners.

Staff wellbeing was also recognised as an operational issue. More than 4,500 personnel received mental-health first-aid training, while culture and wellbeing surveys were used to identify improvements in working conditions and organisational resilience.

The report records meaningful progress, but it is not presented as a story of completed reform. Of 18 policing-plan targets, 10 were achieved, while eight were partially achieved or not achieved. Preparing for Ireland’s 2026 presidency of the Council of the European Union will add further pressure through major security, public-order and traffic-management responsibilities. The central challenge will be maintaining everyday frontline policing while expanding capability, improving accountability and protecting vulnerable people. Overall, the 2025 report portrays an organisation modernising at pace, achieving notable operational successes, but still facing difficult questions about capacity, consistency and public safety.

Ten charter deportation operations carried out from Ireland between February 2025 and June 2026 returned 377 people at a combined departmental cost of just over €3.9 million.

The flights, which travelled to destinations including Georgia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Romania, Poland, Lithuania and South Africa, involved 988 Garda escorts. Based on the Department of Justice’s detailed expenditure figures, the operations cost an average of approximately €10,355 for each person returned.

The figures were provided to the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee by Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Secretary General Doncha O’Sullivan in correspondence dated July 2nd, 2026.

The Department said escort numbers were determined by the assessed risks associated with each operation. Factors included the number of adults travelling, whether passengers had criminal backgrounds, the likelihood of resistance and the need to maintain a reserve team in case of injury, illness or another unexpected incident.

Garda escort leaders receive training through the EU border agency Frontex and follow its operational guidance. Their role is to ensure that forced returns are completed safely and professionally, with particular care required when children or family groups are among the passengers.
The largest Garda deployment was recorded on a flight to South Africa on February 28, 2026, when 133 officers accompanied 63 returnees. A further 119 Garda members escorted 34 people on a flight to Poland and Lithuania on May 24, 2026.

Aircraft charter costs accounted for most of the expenditure, totalling €3.55 million. The single most expensive operation was a South Africa flight on June 19, 2026, for which the aircraft cost €904,050.
Other departmental expenditure included almost €162,917 for doctors and paramedics, €106,348 for commercial return travel and €60,165 for flight-management services.
Additional charges of €21,740 included €8,653 associated with an emergency landing during a Nigeria operation in June 2025 and €13,087 for de-icing the aircraft used for a Poland and Lithuania flight in January 2026.

Each group was also accompanied by a human-rights observer. The observer service cost €36,307 for nine of the operations, with the cost relating to the most recent flight unavailable when the Department prepared its response.
Routine Garda escort duties are generally funded through the annual Garda budget. However, the Department has also awarded funding to the Garda National Immigration Bureau through the EU Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund to support non-EU deportation operations.
The funding agreement covers the period from January 2025 until the end of 2027. Two payments worth a combined €1.84 million had been made to the GNIB at the time of the Department’s correspondence. Eligible expenses include additional Garda pay, accommodation, travel, subsistence and interpreter services.

Up to 75 per cent of qualifying expenditure may be recovered through the EU fund. The Department expects the overall repayment to the Exchequer to be in the region of €3.45 million and is seeking reimbursement for eligible charter and commercial-flight costs.