Alarm as garda numbers drop for five consecutive months

'The official figures reflect the experience of our members who are telling us there are not enough gardaí to meet the ever-increasing demands being put on the service,' said the GRA. Picture: Dan Linehan

Garda numbers have fallen every month over the last five months and are at their lowest levels since January 2020, prompting alarm among frontline Garda representatives.

The garda strength now stands at 14,369, compared to a height of 14,750 gardaí in March 2020.

There are fears that if the current rate of decline, which is caused by retirements, continues, numbers could drop to as low as 14,200 by year’s end unless any current students graduate in December.

In addition, 79 gardaí are on suspension by the end of August, and this number has grown since.

Target of 15,000 gardaí

Successive governments have repeatedly set a target of 15,000 gardaí by 2021, but, due to Covid-19 restrictions, recruitment has been severely curtailed.

Given that the average annual retirement number is around 300 gardaí, it would suggest that a Government financial commitment of around 600 garda recruits per year would be required to meet the 15,000 target within three years, by the end of 2024.

Government sources last night said that Budget 2022, being published on Tuesday, will provide funding for “at least 500 new gardaí", but there are also differing reports that it could be a maximum of 500 or as high as 650.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) has expressed alarm at the continuing drop in numbers amid what it says are public concerns at garda visibility on the streets.

“The GRA is very concerned about any decrease in current or future Garda numbers,” said association vice president Brendan O’Connor.

"The official figures reflect the experience of our members who are telling us there are not enough gardaí to meet the ever-increasing demands being put on the service.

"It is very clear from much of the commentary within the media and from business people, community representatives, and elected politicians that there is an issue concerning the visibility of gardaí in communities across the country.” 

Following accelerated recruitment, garda numbers rose to a height of 14,500 in 2009, but when the recession hit and a moratorium was put in place, garda numbers fell to 12,800 by the close of 2014.

Recruitment restarted then and numbers grew to almost 14,500 by February 2020.

The decision by Garda Commissioner Drew Harris to speed up the attestation of 450 student gardaí in March 2020 to help to police the pandemic brought numbers to a peak of 14,750 that month.

Official Garda figures show that an additional 170 gardaí were attested during 2020, bringing the total to 522, and that 148 gardaí attested in 2021, with 75 due to start training in November.

The Department of Justice told the Irish Examiner that the commissioner had indicated that 450 trainees would be trained during 2021.

Back in February, the commissioner told the Policing Authority that his “ambition” was to recruit 450.

The department provided figures showing that around 340 had started training and around 110 were due to start in November.

It is not clear if any of the current students in Garda College will graduate by the end of the year.

The department said the Government “remains committed” to the 15,000 target, but did not say by when.

'More pressure on personnel'

"The failure to meet recruitment targets coupled with decreasing numbers is placing more and more pressure on less personnel," said Mr O'Connor.

"The members we represent are overstretched and face increasing demands as policing becomes more complex and what were relatively simple functions and investigations become more time-consuming.” 

He said the “much-heralded technology” that was supposed to make the working lives of gardaí easier and policing more efficient had not materialised, adding that members were increasingly spending time “in front of computer screens ticking boxes”.

“An Garda Síochána can ill-afford any fall in personnel for both the safety of our members and the wider public they protect.” 

Other official figures underline a drop in garda numbers in key city divisions in the last 20 months:

• Dublin North Central — 689 (December 2019), 680 (December 2020), and 665 (August 2021);
• Dublin South Central — 765, 731, and 719;
• Cork City — 730, 723, and 714;
• Limerick — 612, 601, and 595.

Falling garda numbers come as CSO population figures show that there are almost 90,000 more people in the country now, compared to two years ago.