GRA members sceptical of budget recruitment plan

Despite Budget 2025 allocating the biggest annual budget in An Garda Síochána’s history, the body representing rank-and-file gardaí has said its members will not be holding their breath when it comes to the planned recruitment of 800 to 1,000 new trainee gardaí.

From a record budget allocation of €33.9bn across the justice sector, Budget 2025 includes a €500m increase in Garda funding — bringing the total Garda budget to €2.48bn.

The budget provides funding to recruit between 800 and 1,000 new gardaí, along with 150 garda staff, and move towards 1,000 garda reserves.

However, the Garda Representative Association (GRA), which represents more than 10,000 rank-and-file gardaí, said that Budget 2024 had also promised 800-1,000 recruits by the end of this year.

“We will see barely 700, which hardly covers the losses through retirements and resignations,” a group spokesperson said.

“What it means is that garda strength has actually fallen over the past three years, regularly dipping below the 14,000 mark, instead of reaching the 15,000-16,000 numbers promised by successive budgets.”

However, a spokesperson for An Garda Síochána welcomed “the biggest annual budget in An Garda Síochána’s history”.

“In particular, funding for initiatives in areas such as speed safety cameras, digital evidence management, and public order will assist gardaí in keeping people and communities safe,” the spokesperson said.

Other budget allocations in the justice sector include record funding of €525m to increase prison capacity and tackle overcrowding, an increase of 18% on last year.

The Office of the Director of Public Prosecutions is to receive an allocation of €2.1m “to provide for key priorities in 2025, including progressing plans for a regional office in Cork in 2026”.