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LAST UPDATE | 16 May 2023
A GARDA GROUP has attacked efforts by the State to recruit new gardaí as figures show that recruitment this year is almost 33% below this year’s agreed target.
Statistics released by the Garda Representative Association (GRA) show just 154 recruits entered Templemore yesterday in the latest intake, far short of the 225 target.
This follows 134 recruits at last intake in January – the target was 200, meaning the garda organisation is 137 off the 425 target so far in 2023.
Ronan Slevin, the Deputy General Secretary of the GRA, said that 1,000 recruits were promised by year end. The current Garda strength as of today is 14,036 as opposed to 14,491 at the end of 2020 so the number is falling sharply.
“Once again the reality falls far short of the numbers of recruits promised. Put simply, we are facing a garda recruitment and retention crisis which is at an unprecedented scale in this organisation.
“At some stage garda management and government are going to have to address the real elephant in the room and that is why it is so hard to recruit new gardai and keep the members that we have,” he said.
Slevin said that in March an independent research by the GRA revealed that just 27% of the public regarded a career in An Garda Síochána as an attractive one for themselves or a member of their family.
“This must be extremely concerning for both the Garda Commissioner and the Minister for Justice.
“Our members need better conditions, training, equipment and protection and also a better work-life balance with clearer work patterns and a safer working environment in order to recruit new gardaí and retain the members we already have.
“Our current numbers of gardaí stand at just over 14,000 so the year end target of 15,000 will clearly not be achieved and this is of grave concern to the members we represent,” he said.
The Journal has looked at the problem of the retention crisis and found an increase in new recruits resigning.
The numbers increased steadily from 2018 to last year, according to figures obtained by this website as part of an investigation into Garda staff retention. 21 trainees left before their two years of training ended, back in 2018.
That number rose steadily in following years and over 50 trainees quit their position in 2021, according to these figures which were released under the Freedom of Information Act.
Previously published figures also show there have been just 24 garda trainees recruited this year, while 38 probationary gardaí have resigned.
A garda spokesperson said that An Garda Síochána is satisfied that just under 5,000 people applied to become members of An Garda Síochána in the 2023 recruitment campaign, in what is currently a full and very competitive workplace market.
“The panel of candidates who applied during the 2022 campaign has not yet been exhausted and An Garda Síochána continue to process the 2022 applicants through the recruitment process. The 154 trainees who entered the college yesterday were selected from the 2022 campaign,” the spokesperson said.
The spokesperson said that applicants in the 2023 recruitment campaign will now commence through the recruitment process.
“This provides a strong panel from which An Garda Síochána can select the best candidates and An Garda Síochána looks forward to offering positions to excellent applicants over the coming months.
“An Garda Síochána has also committed to annualised recruitment campaigns going forward to maintain this strong supply of the best candidates to enter the Garda College in order to reach the minimum number of 15000 sworn Garda members and growing further in the coming years,” the spokesperson said.
A Department of Justice spokesperson said: “The Government is determined to build stronger, safer communities – and a strengthened Garda Síochana is central to that.
“While the Commissioner is responsible for recruitment matters, the Minister for Justice regularly engages with him to monitor the resources needed to drive Garda recruitment.
“The unprecedented €2.14 billion budget in 2023 is allowing for the recruitment of up to 1,000 Gardaí and 400 Garda staff and we are seeing Garda recruits enter Templemore every 11 weeks.”
The spokesperson said 92 recruits entered the Training College in late November, another 132 in February and another 155 earlier this week.
“For the current intake, 53 people who were due to enter the College deferred the taking up of their place immediately but confirmed that they wish to commence training in another intake.
“Combined, that shows for this intake over 200 people took up offers to join An Garda Síochana on the latest intake. This shows a steadily increasing level of recruits into Templemore,” he added.
The Justice spokesperson added that almost 5,000 people applied to join An Garda Síochana in this campaign and said this is in line with the last pre-Covid campaign in 2019.
The Department said that at the end of March 2023, there were 14,036 Garda members across the country. This represents an increase of almost 10% since 2015 when there were 12,816 Garda members throughout the country.
“These Gardaí are supported by 3,130 Garda staff, which is over 50% more than the number of staff in 2015. This increases the availability of Gardaí to concentrate on frontline policing duties.
“It is important to note that since 2015, almost 900 Garda Members have been freed up from back office duties to front line policing because of civilianisation,” the spokesperson added.
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why would we be any more susceptible to intermarriage than say Faroe islanders or Icelanders .
Quick open the borders .
@Before its too late: Same reason Nationalists can’t find a woman outside their gene-pool apart from cousins or sisters.
@John McQuaid: I think you might need to read up on who are the main victims of birth defects and congenital birth defects in Britain , here’s a hint , their not Nationalists , Your eminence .
@Before its too late: *They’re. Enjoy your downloaded .pdf of Mein Kampf!
@Before its too late: who says we are more susceptible? We’re actually slightly less due to our Viking, Norman, Flemish and Anglo-Saxon admixture. However, there are particular diseases which, through our isolation, have become more prevalent in the Irish gene pool, cystic fibrosis and Crohn’s disease included. The Faroese people also have the same problem with hereditary diseases, although with different diseases such as GSD type III and Parkinson’s, which are far more common among them than in other populations. Icelanders have to deal with an elevated risk of Hereditary Cystatin C Amyloid Angiopathy which causes strokes and dementia.
@John McQuaid: Wow , great response , I am truly burnt .
The usual resort to name calling , as if people are bothered anymore with those tactics .
You’d be the first on here to defend Palestinian nationhood , yet for some reason find Irish Nationalism a cause for ridicule .
The hypocrisy is strong in this one .
@Before its too late: Nationalism is for imbeciles, you won’t find me defending any nationalist movement. Bubble burst!
@John McQuaid: What do you defend?
@George Hogan: turf wars eh! think planet.
@George Hogan: Caliphates ?
@Before its too late: they have their issues also. MS for example. Intermarrage is a simplistic answer anyway. There are many other reasons that could be explored such as the age of the population, their diet, etc.
Was diagnosed 10 years ago.
Had no symptoms – my brother was diagnosed so had tests which proved my diagnosis.
25 phlobotomy response over the coarse of the first 12 months and my iron count was down to the accepted level – 50 – 60.
Now I do phlobotomy four times a year as part of the maintenance programme.
Would strongly urge everyone to get themselves checked.
@Charles Alexander:
Phlobotomy ‘response’ should read ‘sessions’.
@Charles Alexander: Me two. However my iron build up is very low, so I only go for 1 max 2 venesections a year. I knew something was wrong but just did not know why. After a few different doctors, one finally diagnosed it. No fan of the needle though that they use to drain the blood. Jaysus you could pipe water through it. Glad yours was caught in time. Any idea if the ibts accept it yet, seems like a lot of perfectly good iron rich blood going to waste.
@Charles Alexander: you might have to demand it from your doctor though, its not taken seriously enough by most.
@Charles McCarthy:
That’s good going on the iron build.
Mine normally increases by about 100 per quarter which is odd since I’m a vegan. But then, as my GP says ‘ that’s biology for you’.
I’m almost certain the IBTS accept blood but check with them.
Don’t get me started regarding the needle.
Good luck
@Paul A Whelan:
I think it’s more to do with the lack of awareness.
I know of people who went through over 2 years of tests before they were eventually diagnosed.
I was fortunate because my brother was diagnosed so my GP knew what to look for.
I think things are a bit better concerning awareness then they were 10 years ago but more needs to be done.
Ten years ago a GP would give up trying to find out what was wrong and would eventually refer you to blood specialist.
I blame Guinness
The inference here is incorrect. There is a suggestion that the high incidence in Ireland relates to ‘ inter- marrying’.
In fact it is explained by the principle of natural selection.
One gene for haemochromotosis confers a degree of protection against TB which was v prevalent in Ireland, it is this that gives rise to a population with a higher number of carriers.
Obviously when that poulation marries there is a higher incidence of couples who each have one gene and it is in their children that the condition is expressed.
The term ‘ inter-marrying’ suggests ‘inbreeding depression’which is incorrect and has a negative connoctation
Ironing has ruined many a marriage or is that irony. Don’t we all get our iron from Guinness?
I didn’t bother reading this article as I find the tumble drier gets rid of most wrinkles so I rarely use the old iron, never mind overload it
That’s hilarious most of the people I know are iron deficient but then again I don’t know 83 people. Probably need to get out more.
@sinead casey:
Don’t you have 3897 close friends on Facebook like the rest of us?
@sinead casey: I was only 10 days away from a knee replacement op when the pre op blood test results showed an iron deficiency. Op postponed, went on an iron supplement … knee is in good shape now, op cancelled !!
I am doing my best to prevent this by marrying an Asian woman.
@Jimmy O’Brien: i’m doing my best to say No to Asian women … it it’s difficult…especially here in Thailand … 555 !
Reading the comments, some are funny some not so much. There are a few inaccuracies, the blood bank do take the blood in Stillorgan and dolier street. The hospitals get paid a lot of money to carry out the Phlobotomy but they do dump the blood. We need more blood banks to keep the blood. It is crazy the hospitals are profiting from this and not at least keeping the blood. They are the ones complaining about the lack of blood donations. If you are concerned about it talk to your GP. The test is a simple blood test. I have it by the way and I send my shirts out to the laundry to get ironed. It is too dangerous in my condition
The trolls are out in force re this article,due to lack of understanding
Its the doctors who need to be aware of it. They treat it too casually if they even consider it. It leads to serious symptoms more than this article even suggests such as liver failure, severe arthritis, diabetes 2 and heart arrhythmia. People die a long slow death from it due to these disorders. Very very serious indeed.
@Paul A Whelan: Spot on Paul! A lot of Doctors and nurses are not up to speed on correct protocol of diagnosis and treatment!
Just send the ironing to the laundry or wear t-shirts and Speedos to work.
‘3 or 4 blood takings a year’
Shouldn’t people just be encouraged to donate blood?
@Ciara Jones: They just dump the blood.. Totally stupid I know but that is what is done.
@Ciara Jones: the blood bank won’t use blood from people with the condition.
@Niall Connolly: What “condition” would that be?!?
@Niall Connolly: not true..you can give blood
@Ciara Jones: the use the blood in Australia. Its absolute madness in Ireland throwing it all away. Blood banks are crying out for donations, Ireland has a huge amount of people who have no choice but to donate to stay healthy, and then we throw it all away. Its a joke.
@Siobhán Ni Mhurchú:
Correct, sufferers can give blood as it is used for transfusions due to its high iron content particularly mother’s who require transfusions after childbirth.
@Kate Flaherty: I’m sorry but you are wrong there . For yrs I donated blood & had a very high hemoglobin count , so much so that they used mine for hemophiliacs ,,,, in hindsight it should probably have been investigated further but it wasn’t , fast forward 30 yrs & I had 2 heart attacks in a wknd because my blood wasn’t carrying enough oxygen & I was constantly tired . On medication now to thin my blood ,,, Xeralto
@Niall Connolly: You’re correct, but that looks like it will change soon. It’s ridiculous as there is nothing wrong with the blood. It is not a blood disorder but a metabolic disorder.
Icelanders have an app for inbred checks.
Ireland should follow suit.
http://mentalfloss.com/article/76323/app-keeps-icelanders-dating-their-relatives
Irony is..even though we are more prone here than our European neighbor’s.. testing for it is done in Wales ..
People also need to be aware of how dangerous iron overload is in pregnancy. My mother and I both nearly died as she has high iron levels,nand naturally passed those onto me. As a premie, the levels were so severe I wasn’t expected to survive. When it turned out I would, doctors realised that if my levels didn’t drop naturally, I would need a full body blood transfusion. Luckily that didn’t happen. I do have higher than average iron, but not to the point of hemachromatosis yet.
My mum has had to reduce her dietry intake of iron after realising that she was setting off the metal detectors at airports with her blood!
Not to mention all the creamy pints of Guinness had by all
It’s very easy to find out from a regular blood test. Ask your doctor to request a test for Ferritin as well as the usual HDL/LDL tests. HIgh levels of Iron in Ferritin may indicate you have haemochromatosis. This can be controlled easily if you donate blood a few times a year.
We’ve Nailed it at last
It’s in our culture, boss. Oh crap we’re all part of the group.
Moral: only have intimate relations with foreign (living) bodies…
I wonder what the web address of the Irish Haemochromatosis Association is? Didn’t see it in the article.
Donating blood 4 times a year can help the condition.
… sister, it’s just kiss away, kiss away …
Only in laois
Should not have to pay 80 euro for every visit to get pint of blood off
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