Over 11,000 apply for Garda recruitment competitions

The recruitment process is being run by publicjobs.ie on behalf of An Garda Síochána.

An Garda Síochána has received over 11,000 applications across two Garda recruitment competitions in 2025.

The most recent competition, which closed on October 9, attracted 4,334 applications, following a surge of over 6,784 applications to a previous campaign in February 2025. According to figures released today, 57% of applicants in the latest round were first-time entrants to a Garda recruitment competition.

There was a notable representation of applicants aged 30 and over, making up 40% of the most recent submissions, mirroring similar figures in February (42%). This ongoing trend highlights growing interest from individuals considering a career change or seeking a new challenge later in life.

Diversity among applicants has also shown marked progress. In the most recent competition, 23% of candidates described themselves as from ethnic backgrounds other than 'white Irish'.

These included individuals identifying as:

Asian (5%)

Black (2%)

Other white (non-Irish) (13%)

Mixed/Other (3%)

Approximately 7% of applicants either preferred not to disclose their ethnic background or left the field blank, while 70% identified as 'white Irish'- a significant change from 2019, when that figure stood at 88%.

Gender diversity was also notable, with 32% of applicants identifying as female, slightly above the current proportion of women in the Gardaí, which stands at around 30%- already higher than the European average for police services.

The recruitment process is being run by publicjobs.ie on behalf of An Garda Síochána.

The next step involves the assessment of applicants’ eligibility, with online assessments scheduled to begin in late October, followed by competency-based interviews expected from late November.

Candidates who successfully pass these stages will enter the final phase, managed by An Garda Síochána, involving a physical competency test, medical examination, substance misuse testing, and vetting.

Successful candidates are expected to commence training at the Garda College in 2026.

Meanwhile, recruits from the February 2025 competition are already undergoing training.

The next group of Garda Trainees will be sworn in this November, with a new class also set to begin training at the Garda College later that month.

New recruit classes are now entering the College on a rolling basis every 11 to 12 weeks.

Trainees receive a weekly allowance of €354 during the 36-week training programme, along with free food and accommodation while resident at the College. Upon completion, they graduate with a Level 7 Bachelor of Arts in Applied Policing, accredited by the University of Limerick.

The most recent recruitment competition was supported by a €671,000 (incl. VAT) national promotional campaign under the tagline “It’s a Job Worth Doing”. Developed by Core and Spark Foundry with creative video agency Rubberduck, the campaign highlighted the diverse and positive impact Gardaí have on communities.

The campaign spanned online video, social media, national and local print, radio, and outdoor advertising. The online and social media push- on platforms such as Instagram, TikTok, Snapchat, and Facebook- generated approximately 60,000 clicks to publicjobs.ie.

Recruitment videos also gained over 600,000 views on Twitch and more than 250,000 on YouTube.

In parallel, the Garda Office of Corporate Communications created in-house content including videos, podcasts, and media events. Garda recruitment content reached over 5 million views across An Garda Síochána’s social media channels, and the official podcast recorded over 500 hours of listening time.

Numerous Gardaí also appeared in media interviews across national and local outlets.

This strategic communications effort was recognised at the 2025 PRII Communication Impact Awards, where the Garda Office of Corporate Communications won Best Integrated Campaign for their work on the February recruitment drive.

Reflecting on the campaign and continued interest in Garda careers, Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly said: “This number of applicants, so soon after our last competition in February, demonstrates there is a lot of interest in making a difference to communities by becoming a Garda. We can offer a varied career where no day is the same. It is not an easy job, but it is a job worth doing.”

The Commissioner added that the response will ensure a strong pipeline of Garda Trainees to support the organisation’s continued growth.

As of September 30, the strength of An Garda Síochána stood at 14,325 sworn members, with 564 trainees currently in training.