Gardaí ‘concerned for own safety’ as Cork gets just three new recruits

The Garda Representative Association (GRA) has said gardaí are concerned for their own safety, as well as that of the public, after the latest allocation of garda graduates has seen only three assigned to Cork city.

Of a graduating class of 120 recruits at the Garda College in Templemore on Friday, the three gardaí assigned to Cork city represent 2.5% of the graduating class of 120, while 74 went to Dublin, representing 62%.

Of the remaining 46 recruits, 17 to the Eastern region, 18 to the North Western division, and 11 to the Southern region, which comprises Cork, Kerry, Limerick, Tipperary and Clare.

Of that 11, three “probationers” – garda graduates who have been sworn in but are serving a two-year probationary period - have been allocated to the Cork City division and three to the Cork County division, with two going to Midleton and one to Millstreet.

Pádraig Harrington, the GRA delegate for the Cork City Division, said the city has, in the past month, lost a total of five frontline officers, three to retirement, and two to promotion.

“We’re down five gardaí and we’ve just gained three probationers, which means we’re over-all down two guards,” he said.

“There is a genuine concern for our ’ safety at this point, and if guards feel concerned about their own safety, how can they keep the public safe?

“Of the 74 that went to Dublin, 26 went to Store St and Pearse St, in Dublin city centre, and we got three to Cork city in its entirety, so to me there’s a disconnect between Garda Headquarters in Dublin and the reality of what’s going on on the ground in Cork city.” 

In March, from a class of 149 new recruits, 98 went to Dublin, representing 66% of the class, while three went to Cork city, representing 2%.

Last month, Taoiseach Micheál Martin told The Echo he was confident Cork would receive a higher allocation of new garda recruits this month than in the March attestation.

Mr Martin said an increased throughput of candidates in Templemore meant a visibly greater garda presence in Dublin.

“I’ve spoken to the minister about the need to spread that out across the country, to Cork and other places, and he’s very conscious of that,” he said.

“I think the key is that we keep the numbers high, applications are high at the moment in respect of Templemore and gardaí, and we’ll see what more we can do to expand capacity.” 

There are currently 359 recruits undergoing training programme at the Garda College, with the next intake scheduled for Monday. 

Garda strength is currently at 14,318 sworn gardaí, 3,680 garda staff and 298 garda reserves.

Labour Party city councillor Peter Horgan described the city allocation as “miserly”.

“The Dublin justice minister [Jim O'Callaghan] has burnished his capital credentials at the expense of garda morale in Cork city, which is rock bottom,” he said.

“It is a thundering disgrace and senior politicians representing the city need to for themselves and the role of the garda commissioner’s regional priorities must be evaluated.” 

The Taoiseach was asked for comment. 

A spokesperson for the justice minister said garda allocation is the responsibility of the commissioner.