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Garda Commissioner Drew Harris (Niall Carson/PA)
A total of 6,381 people have applied to become a garda under a recent recruitment competition.
This was the first recruitment drive since the entry age limit to apply to become a garda trainee was changed from 35 to 50.
More than a third (36.6pc) of the applicants for the 2024 campaign were aged between 35 and 49.
The previous recruitment campaign 10 months ago drew around 5,000 applicants.
“This level of applications coming less than a year since the last competition coupled with the fact that more than 2,000 applicants were aged over 35 confirms that interest in becoming a Garda is still high and it’s a job worth doing,” a spokesperson said.
“Applicants will now enter into a competitive selection process involving a number of stages including online aptitude tests (Stage 1), competency based interview (Stage 2), and fitness test (Stage 3).
“It is intended to run Garda recruitment campaigns on an annual basis to ensure a steady stream of Garda trainees entering the Garda College.”
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said previously the age limit increase would provide an opportunity for people who thought their chance to become a garda had passed.
The news was welcomed by Justice Minister Helen McEntee, who said she is “pleased” by the number of applicants in the 35-49 age bracket.
“The response to the latest Garda recruitment campaign has been very strong. I am delighted to see over 6,300 apply to become Gardaí – this is a significant increase on the 5,000 people who applied last year,” she said.
“I am glad to see that so many people want to join An Garda Siochana and I am particularly pleased at the strong response from people aged between 35 and 50. Well over a third of the applications were in that age group.
“I have always said that nothing is off the table when it comes to recruitment. We have increased the training allowance and increased the age of entry from 35 to 50. I am determined that An Garda Síochána grows to 15,000 members and beyond.
“So to all those who have applied, good luck with the interviews and assessments, and all the very best on your path to a job well worth doing.”
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