As you will appreciate the Garda Commissioner is operationally responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána including HR matters.
I can assure the Deputy the Government is committed to building stronger, safer communities and the 2023 budget of over €2 billion is allowing for the continued recruitment of Garda members and staff, with Garda recruits entering Templemore approximately every 11 weeks.
It is important to emphasise that, of the approximately 14,000 sworn members currently working in the Garda organisation, just over 100 resigned last year – this represents less than 1% of total Garda members. Any increase in the number of resignations should be viewed in this context.
I will be engaging with my colleague, the Minister for Public Expenditure, NDP Delivery and Reform, over the coming months to secure the resources in 2024 to ensure that we continue to make progress towards our targets.
I also understand An Garda Síochána has recently introduced exit interviews to get a clearer view on why people may choose to resign.
The tables below, provided by the Garda authorities, shows the number of Gardaí who have resigned, or resigned in lieu of dismissal, from An Garda Síochána by region and quarter in the year 2023, as well as applications on hand processed to year end.
Region
|
2023
|
Southern Region
|
13
|
North Western Region
|
13
|
Eastern Region
|
24
|
DMR Region
|
34
|
Specialist and Support Units
|
24
|
Total
|
108
|
Quarter
|
2023
|
Q1
|
37
|
Q2
|
36
|
Q3
|
32
|
Q4
|
>10
|
Grand Total
|
108
|
Figures provided as of 31 August 2023.