Garda numbers rise just 58 in 2004

The number of gardaí on the beat increased by just 58 members this year, it emerged today.

A total of 518 officers were recruited in the past 12 months but 460 others also retired.

Fine Gael Justice spokesman Jim O’Keefe, who obtained the figures through a Dáil question, said the low number of gardaí recruited cast doubt on Justice Minister Michael McDowell’s pledge to increase the size of the force.

“I have no doubt that Minister McDowell will not, and indeed cannot, now deliver 2,000 extra fully trained additional gardaí before the next General Election,” he said.

Mr O’Keefe said the expansion of the Garda Training College in Templemore, Co Tipperary had yet to take place and that the 1,100 gardaí recruited next year would not be on the streets for two years.

“There has been no significant effort to increase the numbers as promised in pre-election Fianna Fáil/Progressive Democrats manifestos and in the Programme for Government,” he said.

The gap between the number of gardaí who left the force this year due to ill health, retirement, death or dismissal and the number who joined reached a three-year high this year.

In 2002, 547 gardaí were recruited and 406 retired, while in 2003, 687 were recruited and 417 retired.

Mr McDowell claimed the Government’s €330m expansion plan will allow the force to increase to 14,000 members, even as 1,350 senior gardaí go into retirement.

According to the Public Appointments Service, almost 11,000 people have applied for the 2,000 Garda posts.