Budget and Capital Investment
Some €1.952 billion has been allocated to An Garda Síochána for 2021. This is an increase of €70 million and approximately 3.7% over the allocation for 2020.
The increase in expenditure includes:
- The recruitment of new Garda recruits and Garda civilian staff
- An increase in supervisory ranks at sergeant and inspector level
- Additional funding for Garda equipment, including personal security equipment
- €8 million for continued investment in the Garda Fleet
- €34 million for the Capital Building and Refurbishment Programme including, the project to relocate An Garda Síochána from Harcourt Square to a new purpose built building at Military Road in Dublin
- Over €70 million worth of continued investment in ICT and communications technology
Workforce
The Garda organisation has been steadily rebuilt through sustained investment in recruitment to the Garda workforce over the last number of years.
As of the end of January 2021, there were 14,539 sworn Garda members and over 3,124 Garda staff. This represents a significant increase since the end of 2014, up from approximately 12,800 Gardaí and just over 2,000 Garda staff.
Since the reopening of the Garda Training College in 2015, over 3,550 trainee Gardaí have attested and been assigned to frontline, operational policing duties around the country.
Garda Workforce Information including Multi Year Trend Data
Click on the links below to find details on the different types of Gardaí employed in An Garda Síochána. Each link also includes the relevant multiyear trend data on the workforce. This information is based on data provided by the Garda Commissioner who has responsibility for the distribution of resources including personnel and is updated on a monthly basis.
Highlights to date
At the end of January 2021, An Garda Síochána had 14,539 members. This is an increase of approximately 1,580 sworn members from 2016.
As of the end of January 2021 there are now 3,124 Garda staff. This represents a significant increase since the end of 2016, up from just under 2,000 Garda staff. This increase in Civilians is to address certain skills gaps and to allow more Gardaí to engage more in frontline duties.
From December 2015 to January 2021, 3559 probationer Gardaí have been brought into the ranks of An Garda Síochána
There is growing diversity within the ranks of the An Garda Síochána. As of June 2020 there are 20 different nationalities from countries other than the UK and Ireland represented as members.
More women are joining An Garda Síochána than ever before and as of January 2021 make up more than 1 in 4 Gardaí (27.5%).
The senior management of An Garda Síochána has been expanded to include senior civilians to bring diverse perspectives to the organisation. Senior civilians have been appointed to take charge of various portfolios throughout the organisation.
As of January 2021 some of the senior positions occupied by civilians in An Garda Síochána include; Head of Legal Affairs, Chief Administrative Officer, the Executive Directors of HR & People Development, Finance, Information Technology, Strategy & Transformation, Legal & Compliance, as well as the Chief Data Officer and Director of Communications.
Gender breakdown – Garda members and Staff
As at January 2021, 27.5% of sworn Garda members were female and 72.5% male. This compares with 24% female and 76% male in 2010.
Of the Garda Civilian Staff, 72.2% are female and 27.8% are Male.
The Garda Fleet
As of February 2021 there are 3,132 vehicles in the fleet. This amounts to an increase of almost 19.7% since 2015 when there were 2,616 vehicles in the fleet.
In Budget 2021, an additional €9 million was allocated for the Garda fleet.
Some 47.8% of the fleet is now less than 4 years old. This compares with the situation in 2012, for example, where in the region of 89% of the fleet was older than four years.
Garda ICT
Some €342 million, including €217 million in additional funding under the Capital Plan 2016 - 2021, is being invested in Garda ICT infrastructure between 2016 and 2021 to enable An Garda Síochána to deploy the latest cutting edge technologies in delivering professional policing and security services for the community.
Budget 2021 contained an additional €22 million provided for Garda ICT to bring the total allocation to over €70 million for the second year in a row
€7 million has been made available in 2021 for the provision of additional mobile devices and related licensing and maintenance costs under the Garda Mobility project. These devices give Gardaí instant access to real-time, secure information on the roadside across a range of apps which enable them to scan registration plates, identify forged or false driving licences, and detect disqualified drivers, untaxed cars and stolen vehicles.
As a result of this continued investment more than 4000 mobile devices which function as mobile data stations are now in use among operational Garda members.