Dreaming of joining the gardaí? Extended age limit welcomes more Irish at home and abroad to the job

An Garda Síochána have launched a new recruitment drive and extended the age limit in hopes of bringing in a more diverse group of applicants, including Irish abroad who may be considering a career switch.

Following a Government decision, the age limit to apply to become a Garda trainee has increased from 35 years to 50 from this competition onwards.
 
In order to provide a steady pipeline of Garda trainees over the coming years, it is intended that Garda recruitment campaigns will run annually.
 
Commissioner Harris has commented previously on the need to not only meet the Government target of 15,000 Gardaí, but increase Garda numbers even further due to population growth and changing nature of crime. There are currently 13,998 Gardaí (as of December 31, 2023).

In 2023, 746 people commenced training to be a Garda with 388 Gardaí attested. The next group of Gardaí to attest will be in April 2024.

Commissioner Harris highlighted the ups and downs of being a Garda, saying, "Being a Garda is a hugely rewarding but at times tough job. As a Garda you will make a real difference in people’s lives. You will effect positive change in communities. You will keep people safe. You will support victims. You will uphold the law. And, through this valued and exciting work you will see first-hand the impact your actions have on the ground. This is why being a Garda is a job worth doing.

To spread the word about this opportunity, there's a €400,000 ad campaign with the tagline "It’s A Job Worth Doing" starting from this Monday. The campaign will be on TV, print, radio, online, and social media.

Newly joined Gardaí, like Lorraine Delahunty from Laois, stationed in Limerick City, Jonathan O’Dowd, from Wicklow stationed in DMR (Dublin Metropolitan Region) East, and Jamie Quinn from Clonmel, stationed in Dublin city, shared their experiences to encourage others.

Lorraine, who moved to Australia and joined the police before coming home for the 2023 campaign, said: "No two days are the same, we have learned so much in Templemore to prepare us for what’s to come, so you have to be resilient and push through it and go for it."

Jonathan, who used to be in the army, said: "Give it a shot; it's definitely worth doing."

Jamie, originally from London but born to Irish parents, added: "Don't procrastinate; it’s more than achievable."

Starting this Monday and running until February 8, 2024, interested folks can apply through www.publicjobs.ie. The Public Appointments Service will manage the competition on behalf of An Garda Síochána.