McEntee 'happy to go beyond' Government target of 15,000 gardaí

Justice Minister said she was conscious the Garda strength had been hovering around 14,300 for the last year, but said she was confident  the announcement under Budget 2023 for 1,000 garda recruits next year would bring the strength to 15,000

Helen McEntee said she 'shared the frustration' of Garda staff associations and Garda HQ in the slower than hoped for pace of recruitment, but said that was largely down to the impact of Covid. Picture: Collins Photos

Justice Minister Helen McEntee said she was “happy to go beyond” the long-standing Government target of 15,000 gardaí — but said her first priority was to reach that figure.

She said she was conscious the Garda strength had been hovering around 14,300 for the last year, but said she was confident the announcement under Budget 2023 for 1,000 garda recruits next year would bring the strength to 15,000.