Garda Needs 900 New Members

While about 650 trainees are due to enter the Garda College, Templemore this year, the Association of Garda Superintendents (AGSI) has said it was clear this was not enough.

The association’s annual delegate conference in Naas, Co Kildare, also heard the Government needs to make additional funding available to allow for increased recruitment. The association said recruitment far exceeding the rate of retirements was needed if Garda numbers were to grow.

Speaking at the conference, AGSI general secretary Denis Ferry said the need for extra recruitment was still pressing despite improvements in other areas, such as the provision of new vehicles. He said that about 300 Garda members were retiring annually and there was an urgent need for vacancies to be filled in specialist units.