County Louth has been allocated eight new Gardaí, while neighbouring Meath will receive 17, following the graduation of 207 Gardaí from the Garda College today.
The latest allocations come as An Garda Síochána reaches 14,825 sworn members, the highest number in the history of the State.
Of the eight new Gardaí allocated to Louth, six will be stationed in Drogheda and two in Dundalk.
In County Meath, 13 Gardaí have been allocated to Ashbourne and four to Navan.
The combined allocation of 25 Gardaí to Louth and Meath represents approximately 12% of the latest graduating class.
Largest class since before Covid-19
The 207 Gardaí graduating as part of Intake 261 make up the largest single attestation class since before the Covid-19 pandemic.
The latest recruitment milestone brings Garda numbers above the previous record of 14,758 sworn members, reached in March 2020.
An Garda Síochána has confirmed that every Garda Division will benefit from additional personnel through the latest allocations and consequential transfers.
The Waterford/Kilkenny Division received the largest allocation, with 28 Garda probationers assigned there.
A further 398 Garda trainees are currently undergoing training at the Garda College in Templemore, with the next intake scheduled to begin on Monday, 2nd November.
Garda numbers reach 14,825
Speaking at the attestation ceremony, Garda Commissioner Justin Kelly welcomed the new recruits and said the organisation was continuing to grow.
“You are joining An Garda Síochána at a time of significant growth and development.
“Following today’s event, An Garda Síochána will have the highest level of Gardaí in its history, as we now approach 15,000 Gardaí. This is an important milestone as we continue to strengthen our capacity to serve communities throughout Ireland.
“Furthermore, your intake represents the largest cohort to pass out from the Garda College since before the Covid-19 pandemic.”
He said close to 1,000 new Gardaí are expected to pass through the Garda College during 2026.
“Of course we expect to further strengthen frontline policing and build our capacity to serve communities throughout Ireland. And, this year, we expect to see close to 1,000 new Gardaí passing through the Garda College, reflecting the continued progress being made in recruitment and training.
“There remains strong interest in a career in policing and we are working to build on that momentum in the years ahead.”
The Garda College closed in March 2020 because of Covid-19 restrictions, which brought recruitment training to a halt at the time.
With further recruits currently in training and another intake due to begin next month, An Garda Síochána says it is continuing to increase capacity for frontline policing across the country.
