600 new Garda recruits will enter Templemore next year, it will be announced in Budget 2021 tomorrow.
This will bring Garda numbers to a record high of over 15,000 in a major bid to tackle gangland crime throughout the country.
And the force will be further strengthened by another 500 civilian personnel that are also going to be hired.
The Minister for Justice, Helen McEntee, has secured the funding this evening ahead of tomorrow morning’s Budget 2021 announcements.
Minister for Finance, Michael McGrath, has also agreed to funding for 70 brand new Garda squad cars.
These will be replacements for a fleet of rented cars that gardai had been using.
The beefing up of numbers will bring the Garda force past 15,000 for the first time ever.
An Garda Siochana officially have 14,628 members as at August 31.
There are just over 3,000 Garda civilian staff, so the boost of 500 there will have a significant impact and should free up more uniformed members to fight crime directly.
