Cork to receive 20 new gardaí next month, Taoiseach confirms

Cork is to get 20 new gardaí at next month’s graduation ceremony from the Garda Training College in Templemore, Taoiseach Micheál Martin has said.

Speaking exclusively to The Echo, Mr Martin said 20 new “probationer” gardaí – graduates who must serve two years’ probation – will be announced for Cork at the August attestation ceremony.

Mr Martin said he had engaged with justice minister Jim O’Callaghan and garda commissioner Drew Harris, and said that the August 22 graduation will see 20 new probationers assigned across the city and county divisions.

“I can confirm that after the next graduation from Templemore there will be will 20 guards coming to Cork,” he said.

“This will be a significant boost for policing in Cork.” … The issue of garda numbers in Cork has been controversial for several years, with An Garda Síochána figures showing a drop of 100 gardaí across the city and county since 2020.

Between December 31, 2020, and January 31, 2025, the number of gardaí declined by 57 in the Cork City Division and by 43 in the Cork North and Cork West divisions.

Mr Martin said he could not confirm the specifics of garda assignments to the city and the county.

“However, the increase in gardaí graduating from Templemore has had a positive impact in Dublin, and on a progressive basis that increase will be phased in around the country,” he said.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA), which represents the majority of garda rank-and-file officers, has repeatedly called for a greater allocation of resources to Cork.

Pádraig Harrington, GRA delegate for the Cork City Division said the news was a good start, but added that “Cork city on its own needs 100 extra guards, minimum”.

Last month, Chief Superintendent Tom Myers, head of policing in Cork city, told this newspaper he was “optimistic” that a greater number of new gardaí would soon be assigned to the metropolitan area.

“We have put in a case, and we have been promised that we will get them. We haven’t got as many as I would like to date, but I suspect that will change going forward from what I’m hearing,” he said.

A garda spokesperson said they do not comment on statements by third parties.

“Information regarding the attestation should become available in due course.”