'Nothing is off the table' - Second round of Garda recruitment confirmed by Justice Minister

A second round of Garda recruitment has been announced this week as the Minister for Justice, Jim O'Callaghan and Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said the Government is committing to recruiting 5,000 Gardaí in the next five years.

Speaking at the National Ploughing Championships, Minister O’Callaghan hailed the launch as evidence of building momentum in recruitment.

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He said,

“As Minister my first priority is to get more Gardaí on our streets, so communities are safe and feel safe. The Programme for Government commits to recruiting at least 5,000 Gardai in the coming five years.”

“The launch of a second recruitment campaign this year reflects that commitment. It also shows the Government’s plan is working as we are seeing more Gardaí come through the Garda College and onto our streets.”

“There was significant interest in February’s campaign from a very diverse range of candidates. This is a testament to the enduring appeal of a career with An Garda Síochána.”

“By running two campaigns this year the pipeline of new Gardaí remains strong.”

The campaign opens on Thursday September 18 and will run for three weeks until October 9.

The first campaign of the year ran for three weeks in February and received over 6,700 applications to join An Garda Síochána.

Last month 154 new Gardaí attested from the Garda College in Templemore bringing the total of new Gardaí in 2025 to 423.

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In total this year, 571 trainee Gardaí have entered the college including the largest intake since 2019. Another intake is scheduled for November.

Minister O’Callaghan added that new measures will be considered to further boost Garda recruitment.

“Significant steps have already been taken to boost recruitment such as extending the maximum age of entry to 50 and increasing the weekly training allowance to €354.

“We have already seen the positive effects of these measures in the number of applicants and recruits entering the college.

“Nothing is off the table when it comes to recruitment, and I look forward to working with Commissioner Kelly to examine any ways we can build on this momentum.”

Prospective candidates can visit publicjobs.ie for more information on how to apply.