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Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan pictured alongside Garda Commissioner Drew Harris outside Irishtown Garda Station today. Leon Farrell/Rolling News

Justice Minister says workers with 'sedentary' office jobs should consider joining gardaí

Speaking at a Garda press conference today, Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan said that he would “consider innovative measures” to “get the (garda) numbers up”.

JUSTICE MINISTER JIM O’Callaghan said that those in “sedentary” office and tech careers should consider becoming gardaí for “an exciting life”, ahead of a new garda recruitment campaign launching in February.

Speaking alongside Garda Commissioner Drew Harris at Irishtown Garda Station today, O’Callaghan urged the public to join, saying that “we do not have enough gardaí on the streets”.

O’Callaghan admitted that it was going to be “a challenge” to recruit 5,000 gardaí by 2030, an ambitious goal outlined by the new government.

The latest garda figures show that 631 recruits entered Templemore College last year – significantly short of the 800-1,000 target set by the Government.

It marks a drop from the number recruited the previous year, when 746 recruits were taken on, which was short of the minimum target of 800.

The numbers may raise questions over how the incoming administration will recruit 1,000 new gardaí every year over the next five years, as outlined in their Programme for Government.

“I know that sometimes people say that it’s a very demanding job, and that there are a lot of pressures put on gardaí, but all of us know that the vast majority of people in Ireland are decent, law abiding people, and they respect the great work that is done by gardaí,” Callaghan said.

“It may sound interesting to be working in a tech company or an office-based job, but you’ll find it’s a very sedentary life.

“If you want an exciting life, if you want to have variety in your work life, you really should give consideration to a job within the Garda Siochana.”

O’Callaghan added that the Programme for Government has “some new proposals” in relation to increasing the garda training allowance.

“There’s also consideration given to opening a second training college. We’re looking at different means of allowing people to access into An Garda Siochana.”

Garda Trainees currently receive an allowance of €305 per week for the 33 weeks of training, with accommodation and food provided to those residing in the Garda College.

“I’m very aware that if the numbers aren’t rising, I will have to consider innovative measures to ensure that we do get the numbers up,” O’Callaghan said.

He added that about a third of applicants to join An Garda Siochana last year were from people aged between 35 and 49.

Asked about the number of gardai doing desk work, O’Callaghan said that he wants to “see more gardaí out on the street”.

“I do not want to see gardaí in offices – it’s a waste of resources to have gardaí in offices.”

With additional reporting from PA.

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    Mute John Fitzgerald
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    Jan 28th 2025, 8:44 PM

    Ah yes join our poorly paid Garda and give up your well paid jobs……sure you can live with your parents can’t ye?

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    Mute eoin fitzpatrick
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    Jan 28th 2025, 9:14 PM

    @John Fitzgerald: lots of office jobs are very poorly paid though

    77
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    Mute marklars81
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    Jan 28th 2025, 9:39 PM

    @eoin fitzpatrick: let’s be honest, being paid badly for data entry or being paid badly for a dangerous job are 2 completely different things.

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    Mute John Moore
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    Jan 29th 2025, 1:24 AM

    @John Fitzgerald: Are the Gardaí poorly paid? It seems that on average they are not paid badly at all especially by international comparison. People will say that it’s easier to work in an office job for the same money etc. rather than go out dealing with the things that some gardai do but they forget that that’s what some people want to an extent. Some excitement and a job where they are out and about dealing with these situations. I say some as it’s definitely not for everyone. There are also a lot of people working in the gardai that do sit behind a desk all day themselves. Way more than there should be which is a complete waste.

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    Mute Karl Carroll
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    Jan 29th 2025, 1:27 PM

    @John Moore: Internationally? So comparing Garda pay to the pay in China is a fair comparison? On that basis every single job in Ireland is well paid. You also need a certain amount of Gardai behind desks as they understand the job. Civil servants behind desks sending reams of pointless paperwork to Gardai increases the workload.

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    Mute Johnny King
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    Jan 28th 2025, 9:16 PM

    Dealing with human skum daily and when you arrest them the judge slaps another conviction to their previous 147 convictions and they’re back acting the maggot on the streets collecting their dole the same day.No thanks

    325
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    Mute Ckeego
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    Jan 29th 2025, 10:22 AM

    @Róisín Flemping-Bunt-Himmler: Your profile pic sorta sums it up, really

    8
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    Mute John Doe
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    Jan 28th 2025, 8:50 PM

    Match the salary of these so called sedentary jobs then come back to us

    137
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    Mute Ollie Fitzpatrick
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    Jan 28th 2025, 9:15 PM

    631 recruits entered last year but how many finished the course and also how many Gardaí retired last year??

    105
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    Mute Sean Parker
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    Jan 28th 2025, 9:42 PM

    @Ollie Fitzpatrick: there’s an article in the Irish examiner about it there a few days ago breaking it down but in a nut shell. The strength is down 3.5 percent since June 2020 and in the same period the population has increased by 9 percent. The retirements and resignations etc you ask about are not generally reported on unless coming from the different representative associations.

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    Mute Jack Hayes
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    Jan 28th 2025, 9:45 PM

    @Ollie Fitzpatrick: Those figures are easily obtained from the Oireachtas website and gov.ie

    9
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    Mute qffaffaf affrafrfraf
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    Jan 28th 2025, 8:38 PM

    shur he’s sedentary himself

    132
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    Mute james rowan
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    Jan 28th 2025, 9:21 PM

    @qffaffaf affrafrfraf: thats all they do like a dog,SIT DOG

    10
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    Mute Graham Bailey
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    Jan 28th 2025, 9:50 PM

    Sedentary office jobs; like politicians?

    86
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    Mute Donna Fallon
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    Jan 28th 2025, 10:00 PM

    @Graham Bailey: My thoughts exactly… how very dare he. His Sister sits on her polo too.

    54
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    Mute Donna Fallon
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    Jan 28th 2025, 10:22 PM

    @Róisín Flemping-Bunt-Himmler: Thanks for giving me a chuckle on this otherwise frustrating article!!

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    Mute Donna Fallon
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    Jan 28th 2025, 10:41 PM

    @Róisín Flemping-Bunt-Himmler: Now now no need to get personal… she’s a lovely person in real life GENUINELY!!

    10
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    Mute J B
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    Jan 28th 2025, 10:08 PM

    Templemore put video up weeks ago,two female recruits in training giving verdict. One was refugee from Africa arrived 3 yrs ago and her main complaint was to much to learn academically,,,what did she expect.

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    Mute Maire Hicks
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    Jan 28th 2025, 11:48 PM

    @J B: she will probably get the job on the grounds of diversity and nothing else.

    54
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    Mute J B
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    Jan 29th 2025, 11:16 AM

    @Maire Hicks: she did,, English was even unacceptable.

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    Mute Karl Carroll
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    Jan 29th 2025, 1:30 PM

    @Róisín Flemping-Bunt-Himmler: Its a college and like most colleges, has a minimum entry level. Doesnt mean you pass the course! If you did some research you would find Gardai have a high education level with the majority of recruits coming with existing degrees

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    Mute Stiles
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    Jan 28th 2025, 8:54 PM

    exciting life?.. wud he every vuck off.. I wudnt let me kids near that shoite show..

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    Mute Alan
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    Jan 28th 2025, 10:23 PM

    @Stiles: cos you’re a good citizen, right?

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    Mute Stiles
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    Jan 28th 2025, 11:33 PM

    @Alan: I’m not a good citizen cuz I don’t want me kids to go into a very dangerous stressful job with more oversight than the government itself..? guards get suspended for years while they investigated. (arguably in the public interest) but mikey Lowry is helping form the government right now… first that.. garda is a poxy job.. thank FG for that..

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    Mute Alan
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    Jan 29th 2025, 1:13 AM

    @Stiles: well, good to see you helping to make improvements

    3
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    Mute Shimo F
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    Jan 28th 2025, 9:35 PM

    A minister out of his depth and clearly out of touch with the working people. Ya couldn’t afford me ya dope.

    53
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    Mute pete sake
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    Jan 28th 2025, 9:32 PM

    Start with doubling the college numbers and instructors. By the time you clear vetting, then awaiting college placement, its best part of 2 years of life in limbo. Plus pay structure was great 20 years ago, peanuts now.

    29
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    Mute Donna Fallon
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    Jan 28th 2025, 9:58 PM

    @pete sake: Didn’t they allow half of the recruits graduate after 6 weeks after the first lockdown??

    22
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    Mute Mr “JonnieBoy” Johnson
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    Jan 28th 2025, 10:36 PM

    @pete sake: the quality standard and commitment will drop as they will take anybody at this point. Wait a few years and see the corruption levels increase.

    38
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    Mute Donna Fallon
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    Jan 28th 2025, 10:05 PM

    Anyone watching PrimeTime and want to throw their TV out the window?? That’s for us that are lucky enough to still have electricity.

    26
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    Mute Donna Fallon
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    Jan 28th 2025, 10:41 PM

    @Róisín Flemping-Bunt-Himmler: The excitement was too much?!

    2
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    Mute Jozef Dobias
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    Jan 28th 2025, 10:50 PM

    So 100k starting wage? No? Ah. Ok will sit in office then. Go on holidays 10 times a year. And join a run club. These comments defo not gonna bring anyone forward. Money talks. Money.

    24
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    Mute J B
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    Jan 28th 2025, 10:04 PM

    Since 2013 it’s bad move. That along with prison service,fire service etc. only today fireman presenting petion to minister over 2013 deal made.

    22
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    Mute Dog Tired
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    Jan 29th 2025, 7:28 AM

    @J B: That’s only the half of it. Young Guards are posted 100 miles from where they live, with no opportunity for years to transfer nearer home. Nowhere to rent near their postings and not considered for mortgages as pay is too low.
    That’s the problem with retentions of new recruits.

    25
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    Mute Larry O'Brien
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    Jan 30th 2025, 12:17 AM

    @J B: I got out as a sergeant in 2013 – had enough of it after 31 years. Could see the way things were heading and did not want to spend the next 6 years – which I could have banging my head against a wall. Drew Harris is mainly responsible for the lack of recruits because he has made the job a living hell. Should have been sacked years ago as a judge once said but instead the government gave him an extension and wanted to give him another but he refused.

    2
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    Mute Seanfhear míshásta
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    Jan 29th 2025, 1:21 AM

    Perhaps if gardai were paid properly, it would be easier to recruit them.

    20
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    Mute Garry Coll
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    Jan 28th 2025, 11:31 PM

    Maybe they’ll get a few more when the RUC guy is gone.

    17
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    Mute John Boyle
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    Jan 28th 2025, 10:15 PM

    God .help Ireland if that’s all he .can come up .with I. Think if you nail them to gather you would get .a Stateman

    15
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    Mute Eoin Jackson
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    Jan 28th 2025, 8:48 PM

    He should redo the marketing to join the guards and you too will be able to arrest that fat pedo, Phillip Dwyer. Would make me a lot more likely to join anyway, stoping absolute crèche creepers like him. Guaranteed pedo.

    29
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    Mute Freda Peeple
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    Jan 28th 2025, 9:00 PM

    @Eoin Jackson: Bang of the lefty off you Eoin, Dwyer isn’t my cup of tea but he has pointed out the absolute lack of investigative journalists in Ireland, his tactics are that of an amateur, which he is. He is not a pedo unless you can show me where he was charged as such. Lefty’s like you are in the pocket of the government, 6 billion a year spent funding Thousands if ngos actively working against the interests of the Irish people. Nothing to say about all the actual serving politicians with various brushes with the law?

    72
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    Mute Eoin Jackson
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    Jan 28th 2025, 9:16 PM

    @Freda Peeple: “bang of a lefty” hahahahaha yeah sure mate. Dwyer is a fat creep that need a hiding. Going around doing sweet fk all, “citizen journalist” hahaha give me a break. Cop on a small bit to yourself there I would say and grow up you absolute creep enabler.

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    Mute Eoin Jackson
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    Jan 28th 2025, 9:18 PM

    @Freda Peeple: iv plenty to say on many of the lads in the Dail, vast majority of them are useless (still of more use than fatty Dwyer though). They at the very minimum pay tax. My comments about that absolute crèche creeping pedo come from an article just preceding this one which comments are closed. Bet you won’t be complaining about the comments being closed on that article though will you, absolute twit.

    11
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    Mute Freda Peeple
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    Jan 28th 2025, 9:22 PM

    @Eoin Jackson: You couldn’t give a anyone a hiding, that much I could bet money on. It’s weak minded feeble bodied men like you that has allowed Europe to be irreparably damaged. Dwyers intentions are motivated by what lies ahead if we allow ourselves to become little Britain. The 750 million paid to RTE should send shivers up the spine of anyone with any kind of intelligence. Not you though Eoin, you are ok.

    32
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    Mute Eoin Jackson
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    Jan 28th 2025, 9:28 PM

    @Freda Peeple: whatever you say Freeda. You keep supporting the man who got sacked from A Post for kicking a dog. The man who rubs shoulders with the likes of Andy Heasman, ex heroin dealer and domestic abuser who beat his pregnant partner with a hoover. Many, many more with as coloured / more coloured history. Show me your company and il tell you who you are. These are the men you’d have us believe are trying to “protect women”. If braincells were dynamite these lads wouldn’t be able to blow their nose. That applies to all their supporters too. You included.

    17
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    Mute Freda Peeple
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    Jan 28th 2025, 9:32 PM

    @Eoin Jackson: You pushing the pedo and creep angle is hilarious. Right from the playbook, discredit the man who is crawling under the skin of the establishment. Listen Eoin, Drag queens telling kids stories, or teachers confusing young kids with explicit/suggestive material is wayyyy more pedo in my book. Dwyer is railing against that. So that makes him the opposite of what you are accusing him of, correct? Not that bright are you? But that comes with the territory.

    28
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    Mute Eoin Jackson
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    Jan 28th 2025, 9:39 PM

    @Freda Peeple: anyone who gets caught creeping around a crèche opens themselves up to pedo accusations. Not very bright are you? No comment on your band of hero’s coloured history with drug dealing / domestic violence though. I would like to say I am shocked, but alas, I am not.

    12
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    Mute Freda Peeple
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    Jan 28th 2025, 9:39 PM

    @Eoin Jackson: I’m not a supporter you absolute mong, I said he is an amateur doing what certain actual qualified journalists used to do. I do support his stance on immigration though, however, I’m gay and he called all gay people pedos which obviously isn’t something I’m thrilled about, but he has crawled under the skin of the msm though and has shown the complete lack of the professionals journalists that used to do that.

    23
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    Mute Setanta O'Toole
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    Jan 29th 2025, 11:18 AM

    @Freda Peeple: I ended up in Dwyer’s company inadvertently for a few hours back before he was ‘famous’. He is a deeply unpleasant and sleazy racist, who’s (very nice) family were apologising for his carry on every time he got up. I gather he lives on his own now. Now he’s turned that into a profitable grift. There is nothing ‘investigative’ about what he does. It’s confrontation for the sake of confrontation, and saying it is anything else is an insult to real journalists everywhere. It’s lucky the nationalist movement in Ireland are too dim to realise that it’s sensationalist idiots like him and blighe that are the reason for their abject failure at the ballots.

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    Mute Ronan Mc
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    Jan 29th 2025, 10:05 AM

    I’ll get a standing desk instead, thanks. Become a target for some gurrier to attack, the court lets him off because of his ‘tough childhood’. When you sneeze you have GSOC there to ask you where you got that packet of tissues from?

    15
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    Mute Patrice Ahern
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    Jan 29th 2025, 8:08 AM

    Who would want that thankless job! See judge nolan’s two latest suspended sentences (in earlier article above) for drug dealers. Why did the cops even bother investigating when we all no what happens when the hanging (everything suspended) “judge” is involved .

    15
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    Mute Karl O'Toole
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    Jan 29th 2025, 10:05 AM

    It’s well documented and reported about how badly paid and understaffed Gardai are. On top of that public trust and respect for the Gardai is at an all time low.

    Maybe Jim should drop his career in politics for some excitement in the Gardai? I know I wouldn’t fancy joining a cesspit of an organisation to be spat on and abused by untouchable feral teens on the daily.

    12
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    Mute Ned
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    Jan 28th 2025, 11:59 PM

    From one sedentary job to another sedentary job what’s the point?

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    Mute Joanne Stokes
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    Jan 29th 2025, 6:22 AM

    Is Jimbo here joining up so?!?!

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    Mute Kieran Conroy
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    Jan 29th 2025, 4:13 PM

    Before you know it the illegals will be given visa’s & uniforms. Part of the plan.

    2
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