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Despite a major recruitment drive, police numbers fell last year as retirements and resignations outpaced the number of new members graduating from the police academy.
The total strength of the force decreased by 135 net; membership dropped from 14,133 at the beginning of 2023 to 13,998 at the end of 2023. In January, 17 additional force members resigned or retired. As these figures fall, the strength of the Garda Road Policing Force has plummeted, even as road fatalities soar to their highest point in almost a decade.
There has been a loss of about 10 per cent of road policing staff, with the national number falling to 632, with numbers falling in every county except Mayo.
Susan Gray, of Parc Road Safety, said it was “heartbreaking” to see a reduction in road policing with 188 people killed on the roads this year and the number of road fatalities continuing to rise this year.
“In the absence of high-visibility, heavy-duty road policing, drivers will continue to take risks, often with devastating consequences,” she said, adding that there was an “urgent” need for more road policing otherwise there would be more deaths this year. The number of people will be “more serious”.
In his final report to the force for 2023, Chief Constable Drew Harris said some 746 new police officers started training at the academy in Templemore, Co Tipperary, last year.
Some 388 cadets passed out, meaning they became fully qualified new police officers during the year. These gains were offset by 169 resignations (an increase of more than 50% and a record high) and 319 retirements.
Mr Harris told the force he was optimistic a new police recruitment drive had just begun, which would lead to an increase in police numbers in 2024.
“We hope that with the increased age limit and intern stipend, this exercise will attract the right candidates from diverse backgrounds, further enriching the organization,” he said.
The upper age limit for application has been raised from 35 to 50 years. The weekly training allowance paid to police recruits was increased by 66% to €305 at the end of last year to encourage more candidates to apply for police posts.
While police senior managers and the government await the recruitment process to achieve a net increase in numbers, more officers set to retire are being offered extensions of service.
In spring 2020, police numbers reached a record high of 14,750
Last year, the police department granted about 62 extensions of service, compared with a total of 54 in the previous two years. About 23 police officers set to retire this year have been granted extensions through the end of 2023, with more expected to be granted in the coming months.
The government plans to increase the size of the police force to 15,000 for the first time “and continue to expand,” the Ministry of Justice said.
In spring 2020, Garda College enrollment reached an all-time high of 14,750. However, when Garda College was forced to close due to the pandemic, recruitment ceased and numbers gradually declined, falling below 14,000.
Both the Police Representatives Association and the Association of Police Sergeants and Inspectors, which represent nearly 11,000 rank-and-file officers, said police working conditions need to become more attractive to boost recruitment and retention.
Both sides see reduced pensions for police officers who joined the force after 2013 as an area that needs improvement, while they also want better training and equipment for frontline members.
However, Mr Harris said the police career was challenging and not suitable for everyone. He said the theme of the current recruitment drive is “A Job Worth Doing” and is aimed at attracting candidates who want to make a difference through policing.
[ Too posh to police: Is a career in the Garda now a much harder sell? ]
Mr Harris also noted that while the number of resignations from the police force had increased, it was very small, which was to be expected in a very competitive job market. He recently told The Irish Times that around 14 per cent of police officers retiring on age grounds had applied for an extension, meaning more officers wanted to work longer rather than quit at a younger age.
Justice Minister Helen McEntee said she would “encourage anyone who believes they can make a positive contribution as a police officer to consider putting their name forward”.
“As a government we have committed our highest ever budget of €2.3 billion to An Garda Síochána in 2024. This includes funding for 800 to 1,000 new police officers and I hope, and do expect, that there will be a strong response to this .campaign,” she added.
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