Garda numbers 'on track' to rise above 14,800, management say

Garda management said 'extensive efforts' have been made in dealing with issues like vetting to speed up the recruitment process

Under the Programme for Government, published in January 2025, 5,000 garda students are targeted to be recruited over the five-year term, or around 1,000 a year. File photo: David Fitzgerald/Sportsfile

Garda HQ is “on track” to hit over 14,800 members by the end of the year, official estimates show.

This would bring the strength of the organisation to its highest level, topping the previous peak of 14,750, in March 2020. Ireland’s population has grown by around 500,000 people in the meantime — from 5m to 5.5m.