Issue Date: 6th June 2024
GARDA RESERVE RECRUITMENT CAMPAIGN
- It’s a Job Worth Doing is the theme of the Reserves campaign.
- Over 80 Reserves have gone on to train as full-time Gardaí since 2017.
An Garda Síochána today Wednesday June 5, 2024 launches its latest Garda Reserve recruitment campaign, which seeks to expand this voluntary programme. An Garda Síochána is now inviting applications from those aged 18 to 60.
This recruitment drive follows a Government commitment to increase the strength of the Garda Reserve to 1,000 by 2026.
Garda Reserves are voluntary members of An Garda Síochána.
Reserves are placed in communities and work to assist An Garda Síochána with local patrols and crime reduction initiatives.
They also assist in policing major incidents and events, and provide operational support to Gardaí on the basis of the Garda Reserve’s skills or local knowledge.
Through this campaign, members of the public are afforded the opportunity to develop hands-on policing experience, and to serve their communities by giving back to their own locality.
Among the ways Reserves do this is through community engagement activities, traffic management, attending major events, carrying out administrative duties, and providing general support to full-time Gardaí.
While service in the Garda Reserve is voluntary and unpaid, subject to certain conditions an allowance is payable by the Commissioner to Garda Reserve in respect of expenses incurred in performing their duties. This had been €1,000 per 12-month period.
However, from June 1, 2024, this stipend is set to increase with the following now available to reserves in respect of hours completed:
- 50 hours completed - €500 stipend
- 100 hours completed - €1,000 stipend
- 200 hours completed - €2,000 stipend
- 200 hours or above - €3,000 stipend.
Anyone interested in volunteering to work in their local community is being encouraged to apply prior to 3pm July 4.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said,
"The Garda Reserve was introduced in 2006 to assist An Garda Síochána in increasing the visible uniform police presence in the community - helping to prevent crimes and to provide greater reassurance to the community. Since then our volunteers in policing have become an integral part of this organisation. They are credited with bringing a wide range of experience, skills and outlooks to An Garda Síochána, and we recognise their input as crucial to ensuring that Ireland has a police service that is trusted and valued by the Irish public. We are eager to encourage greater representation from minority communities in our Garda Reserves, and so I am hopeful that this recruitment campaign will result in communities being served by a diverse cohort of Garda Reserves into the future”.
"What I would say to those considering a career in An Garda Síochána, the Garda Reserve offers a unique experience to get a flavour for what is required as a Garda. For some it is a driving factor in applying to become a Garda, and for others it is an opportunity to volunteer and make a real difference in their community.
In recognition of the service provided I want to also welcome the recent increase in the stipend available to Garda Reserves.
It is certainly a rewarding experience and I have no doubt for those applying you will find it is a job worth doing”.
The Garda Reserve is often a stepping stone towards becoming a Garda, and since our last campaign in 2017, over 80 Garda Reserves have gone on to train as full-time Gardaí.
In recognition of this being utilised as a career path, An Garda Síochána has created a Garda Reserve Stream, enabling Garda Reserve to apply to become Gardaí if they meet certain criteria.
Training will be delivered through a blended approach. It will require attendance at the Garda College, Templemore for some elements of this training in addition to online and experiential workplace learning at assigned training stations.
Those interested in applying to the Garda Reserves should visit www.publicjobs.ie
The closing date for receipt of applications is 3pm 4 July 2024.
Other key facts:
- The Garda Reserve was established in 2006.
- The current strength of the Garda Reserve is * 341.
- * 79 are women, * 262 are men.
- 18 different nationalities are represented including people who are of Brazilian, Polish, Nigerian, Pakistani; Romanian; Chinese; Indian; Iranian; and Moroccan ethnicity.
- Backgrounds vary from carpenters and engineers to chartered accountants and insurance brokers to teachers and social care workers.
- Those eligible to apply include any Irish citizen aged from 18 to 60, including nationals of a European Member state; an EEA State or the Swiss Confederation; or those legally resident in the state for five years.
- Certain health and educational requirements also apply.
- Full details available at publicjobs.ie or https://garda.ie/en/careers/
- There are four general types of duties that a Reserve may be called to perform depending on the policing needs of their Division.
- Community Policing where they may be assigned to community engagement activities; High visibility beat patrol (accompanied by full time member); Mobile patrol (accompanied by full time member) ; assist in the event of an accident, fire, major emergency; preservation of crime scene; static security post e.g. crime scene; road traffic duties and checkpoints (accompanied by full time member). o
- Station Duties, where a reserve is authorised to perform general station duties with the exception of the care and custody of prisoners; Public Office/ Front Counter duties; Communications room duty and the monitoring of CCTV feeds.
- Court/Legal Actions, where a reserve can issue Fixed Charge notices where offences were detected; prosecuting offences detected; Issuing Fixed Payment Notices where required; serving summons; Giving evidence in court. o Events, where a reserve may take up duty at the outer cordon of a major event such as festival, concerts or sporting events (accompanied by a full time member); Directing traffic; Assisting the public.
- A Reserve Garda May Not…
- Be deployed on plain clothes duties of any kind.
- Drive official vehicles.
- Carry firearms in the course of their duty.
- Patrol on mountain bikes.
- As part of the Government’s plan to modernise and strengthen An Garda Síochána, the Garda Commissioner has developed a Garda Reserve Strategy 2021-2025, which provides a roadmap for the development of this important service.
- The Strategy, published in October 2021, is informed by an internal review of the Reserve, and sets out key commitments including recruitment, training and development, deployment, governance and evaluation.
