An Garda Síochána launches new recruitment drive

An Garda Síochána is calling on people from all backgrounds to apply to become a member of the force.

The force launched a new recruitment drive on Friday, as it hopes to add up to 1,000 members over the next three weeks.

While admitting that the work is difficult, Commissioner Drew Harris appealed to anyone interested to fill in an application.

Garda Press Office Superintendent Liam Geraghty said a role with An Garda Síochána offers people an opportunity to make a difference.

"A Garda, and An Garda Síochána, is a great job, you get to make a difference to people's lives.

"There's a lot of personal satisfaction and professional satisfaction in the job.

"It is a tough job — there is no getting away from that — but it is definitely a job worth doing.

"I would encourage anyone interested in being in An Garda Síochana to log on to publicjobs.ie, up to the April 14th, 2023 when the campaign finishes," he said.

On Tuesday, Minister for Justice Simon Harris said it was "incredibly important" for a modern police service to reflect the communities it serves.

"If An Garda Síochána better reflects the rich diversity of Irish society, they will be better able to understand the different needs and concerns of the communities they serve and in turn make those communities stronger and safer."

In a further statement, Mr Harris said that the force was an "increasingly diverse organisation".

"We have one of the highest rates of female officers in Europe and in our last grda competition more than 20 per cent of applicants were from minority communities."

In February, the Labour Court ruled that the current Garda age limit of 35 for new job applicants is discriminatory on the grounds of age.

The force launched an appeal in the High Court following the decision.

In January, it was reported that almost one in five prospective garda entrants fail the force's mandatory fitness test.

Fianna Fáil TD Jim O'Callaghan criticised the fitness test, stating that it was too demanding. The test was compounding recruitment issues, he said in January.

Mr O'Callaghan (55) later filmed himself taking the Garda fitness test to highlight the issue.