New Garda Reserve recruitment campaign announced

A new recruitment campaign for Garda reserves opened for applications on Wednesday, June 5. 

Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee TD has revealed a target of at least 1,000 new Garda Reserve members by 2026.
The Garda Reserve is a volunteer service drawn from local communities. Reserves work alongside full time Garda members performing varied work, including with the Road Traffic Unit, ensuring public safety during State visits, policing public order incidents, assisting with crowd control at large scale public events and supporting the regular day-to-day community policing work of An Garda Síochána.

Minister McEntee also announced an increase in the maximum tax-free stipend to be paid to Reserve Members from €1,000 per annum for over 100 hours of volunteering in a year to €3,000 for over 200 hours of volunteering. A graduated scale of stipend will apply depending on the total number of hours volunteered. 

“The Garda Reserve represents a real opportunity for anyone wishing to support policing and give something back to their communities. Reserves bring a variety of experiences and perspectives to the organisation, including local knowledge and links to the communities in which they serve, which brings to life An Garda Síochána’s core value of community policing," said Minister McEntee. 

“As well as being an opportunity for people to voluntarily contribute to the strength and safety of their communities, members of the Garda Reserve have access to a dedicated recruitment stream to become full members of An Garda Síochána if that is a career they are hoping to pursue. The firsthand experience of working alongside full-time Garda members is great benefit to a Reserve if they transition to a full-time career in policing. We need to have a Garda workforce that fully reflects the communities it serves, so we would really welcome a diversity of applicants.

“This year 6,300 people applied to join An Garda Síochána, a significant increase on the number applying last year. No stone will be left unturned in boosting overall Garda recruitment and I am continuing to look at additional measures we can take. The Garda Reserve is a big part of our plan. I wish all prospective applicants the best of luck and look forward to welcoming new members of the Reserve in the coming months.”

The application process will close on July 4, 2024 and prospective candidates can visit publicjobs.ie for more information on how to apply.