An Garda Síochána is setting out to be a "magnet employer" with the announcement of a recruitment campaign for 600 new members in 2016.
"We've always attracted way more applicants than available positions" Garda Commissioner Nóirín O’Sullivan said today. "We want to build on that, attracting people from every strand of Irish life to help us renew our culture while retaining our best traditions."
Details of how to apply for the positions are available today at www.publicjobs.ie.
When the moratorium on Garda recruitment ended in 2013 over 24,000 applications were received for an initial 300 posts. That, according to the Commissioner, is partly because of the variety of roles within the service, ranging from Community Policing to Detective work and Forensics , from working with our Dog Unit to being part of the Mounted Unit. Secondments to overseas police services and to the United Nations also offer career development opportunities. Few organisations can offer such a wide variety of career options, experiences, and training and educational opportunities.
"When I joined An Garda Síochána in 1981, I was one of a tiny minority of women," the Commissioner said today. "Now, over a quarter of Gardaí are women. I hope that trend continues, just as I hope we get lots of applications from every strand of Irish society. Why? Because we are of the community and should reflect the changes in our communities. We already have different nationalities and backgrounds represented in An Garda Síochána, but not enough. I want people of every background, right throughout the country, to think about joining us and help to make us a beacon of modern policing."
An Garda Síochána will be working with the Public Appointments Service to reach as many potential applicants as possible through publicity, social media activity and engagement with representative groups.
"Being a member of An Garda Síochána can be an incredibly rewarding career," the Commissioner added. "It's about working with the community, and protecting and supporting individuals and communities. It also demands courage. And, above all, it demands high standards. Culture cannot be imposed from the top –we need all our people to work with us to create an organisation that attracts and rewards people of the highest calibre."
Applications to join An Garda Síochána must be made through www.publicjobs.ie. The closing date for applications is Tuesday, 5th January 2016.
There are currently more than 500 trainee Gardaí studying for a BA in Applied Policing. Over 290 of these are attested and serving in local communities.
