Gardai quitting up 55% in year
Figures reveal 169 officers left service in 2023
THE number of gardai quitting the force early continued to soar last year and rose by a massive 55% compared to 2022.
New figures, released to the Irish Mirror under the Freedom of Information Act, show 169 resigned in 2023 – up from 109 the previous year.
The number of early departures from the force has more than doubled in six years, with only 77 in 2018.
These figures do not include those officers who retire every year after 30 years of service.
A total of 52 of those who resigned last year were aged in their 20s, with 76 in their 30s, 36 in their 40s, and five in their 50s.
Sources said many gardai were jacking it in because of pay, conditions and stress.
But Fine Gael’s justice spokesman in the Seanad,
Barry Ward, said there are other factors. He added: “In many ways, the number of gardai choosing to leave An Garda Siochana for other positions is a function of the success of the Irish economy at the moment. It is very much an employee’s market. “And so, inevitably, gardai, members of the Defence Forces, the civil service and other State bodies, will migrate to other positions that are more attractive, but which are different in many ways, including the security that comes with
them.” He also said the Government is trying to address the issue but ruled out big pay rises.
He added: “The job of the government is to ensure that retention of gardai is incentivised as much as possible.
“It isn’t feasible to massively increase garda pay because there are knock-on effects throughout the civil and public service, from nurses to teachers to civil servants and a range of other people.
“However, there is room for the Department of Justice to incentivise Garda retention by ensuring that their work conditions are as positive as they possibly can be.”
Senator Ward also said the Government “is hugely ramping up garda recruitment”.
He added: “This year we will again see a massive investment in new gardai going through Templemore in numbers greater than those leaving.”