EXTRA €25M FOR GARDA OVERTIME AND INCREASED PAY FOR ROOKIES

THE Government has once again promised an additional 1,000 gardaí to combat rising crime on our streets – while significantly increasing the pay for rookie officers.

An extra €25million was promised yesterday to increase the overtime budget to help gardaí meet policing demands. That cash is part of a total package of an extra €172million promised across the justice sector.

The Government has also vowed to provide funding for between 800 and 1,000 new recruits. A similar pledge was made last year, but so far this year just over 110 new gardaí have been attested, with that number expected to hit around 600 by the end of the year.

The payment to recruit gardaí will also increase significantly as part of Budget 2024. New recruits previously earned just €184 a week, but this will now increase to €305 from January 1, and will be backdated to yesterday’s announcement.

A new Garda Reserve recruitment campaign will also be launched at cost of €12million. This will be set up to tackle domestic, sexual and gender-based violence.

The Garda Representative Association (GRA), which represents more than 11,000 rank-and-file members, cautiously welcomed the Budget measures.

But GRA general secretary Ronan Slevin said: ‘In Budget 2021, we were promised 800 new recruits in 2022 and just under 300 came through Templemore. We were promised 1,000 recruits for 2023 but we will see just over 600, which barely covers losses from retirements and resignations.

‘So we must give this a guarded welcome and hope we can achieve these extra numbers in the interest of the safety and wellbeing of our members and of the public, but also that they continue to address issues within the force to make a career in AGS a safer and more attractive one to potential recruits. The issue of trainee garda wages has long concerned the GRA and we have raised this with both AGS management and Government departments.

‘While the rise to €305 per week is an improvement on the current level, it doesn’t even match minimum wage, never mind the current cost of living,’ he said.

Alongside the increased wages to young recruits and extra overtime, money has also been put aside to combat the rising death toll on our roads. The Department of Justice said €3.6million in additional funding for GoSafe speed cameras will be allocated, along with another €500,000 investment in CCTV schemes.

Several measures for the Courts Service were also announced, including €9million to make progress in restoring criminal legal aid fees, with a 10% increase in early 2024; €1.4million to provide courts staffing to support the additional judges nominated by the Government; €21million to accelerate International Protection processing, with 125 additional staff to be recruited by the end of 2024; and €6million to continue the response to the war in Ukraine.

Fine Gael’s justice spokesman Alan Farrell said ensuring increased recruitment to bolster the ranks of the gardaí was a key priority.

‘This Budget has seen significant investment in our gardaí, and the Garda budget in 2024 is €430million larger than when Justice Minister Helen McEntee took office in 2020,’ he said last night.

‘Trainee gardaí will benefit from an increase in the training allowance of €121, bringing the new allowance to €305. I have repeatedly called for this and am delighted to see such a significant investment in the future of our officers.

‘Garda overtime support will also rise 25%, with an additional €25million being provided under Budget 2024. This will have a direct effect on the gardaí’s efforts to tackle antisocial behaviour in towns and cities.’

‘Improving wages for trainee gardaí is vital to safeguard the future of the force,’ Mr Farrell added.

New recruits get €305 a week from January