A new recruitment campaign for an Garda Síochána (AGS) will open for applications on Friday (24 March) for three weeks.

The campaign is part of a plan, provided for in Budget 2023, to recruit 1,000 new gardaí this year.

The Department of Justice said that both the Government and Garda Commissioner were committed to increasing diversity within the force, and ensuring that all communities saw themselves reflected in the police service.

Diversity

Minister for Justice Simon Harris said that it was “incredibly important” that a modern police service reflected the communities that it served.

“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,” he said.

There are currently more than 200 trainees in the Garda College, from the most recent recruitment campaign launched in 2022 by Minster Helen McEntee.

The Garda Commissioner has planned for four further tranches of around 225 recruits to enter Templemore throughout the rest of 2023, provided for by candidates from the previous campaign and later supplemented by the new recruitment campaign being launched today (22 March).