Gardaí to host recruitment event in Sligo as force seeks to increase in numbers

By Philip Rooney, The Sligo Champion

Following the success of a recruitment drive earlier in the year, An Garda Siochana are set to hold an open day in Sligo’s Glasshouse Hotel next Monday, October 6 as the force looks to further boost the numbers within its ranks.

When the call went out for new recruits earlier in the year, over 7,000 people applied to join the force with Insp Gerry Curley pointing out the the impact the changing of the criteria to qualify as a member has made on the force.

"The height restrictions and the rule about glasses has been gone for years and the application age has been increased to 50. I’m certainly seeing an increase in the age of probationers. There is an interest among older people in joining the Gardaí. Traditionally people were 18-23 when I joined, now it is regular that you see people in their 30s or even 40s so it is definitely appealing to them and it is still a sought after occupation.”

Successful applicants will be paid €354 for the first 36 weeks of training and if they are successful at the end of their training they come out to a guaranteed full-time public service pensionable job as well as a level 7 Bachelor of Arts degree in applied policing that is accredited by the University of Limerick.

While the makeup of the force may be changing, so too is the role that is required of members of An Garda Siochana with Insp Curley pointing to the varied opportunities available within the force and referenced his own backstory to show how your own interests can dictate your path as a member of An Garda Siochana.

“It’s a job that’s changed massively since I first went into it, it has become highly specialised. Policing in Ireland is really community based. You are policing with the consent of the community and you are also representative of the community. As communities change, we change as well.

"Prior to joining the Gardaí I had an interest in journalism and after working with An Garda Siochana for about seven years I actually got into the Garda press office and I was there for nine years.

"I went from having an interest in journalism to all of a sudden being in the biggest press office in the country. If you have an interest in aviation of any sort you have an air support unit, if you are interested in dogs there is a dog unit, you have a water unit if you are into diving, a horse unit. There are units for drugs, fraud if you have a financial background. If teaching is your thing there is Continuous Professional Development (CPD) where you can become a tutor.”

The current round of recruitment remains open until October 9 with Insp Curley recommending anyone who may be considering applying calling to The Glasshouse on Monday next, October 6 from 5pm-9pm.

“We are going to have a variety of Garda personnel available from students to probationary gardaí, which are newly qualified gardaí, and various different sections so we will be able to bat a variety of questions, from training to what you can expect to do in your initial few years to what you can hope to achieve in the medium to long term.”