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Organisation


An Garda Siochana

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Contact details:
Contact Name:
Sergeant In Charge
Address:
Appointments & Admissions Office
Human Resource Management
Garda Headquarters
Phoenix Park, Dublin 8
Email:
[email protected]
Web:
www.garda.ie
Phone:
+353 1 6662571
 
Employment Profile...
Go... What are the main occupation types employed?
Go... What types of work contract are offered?
Go... What are the key attractions?
Go... What locations do you operate from?
Go... What are the current employment trends?
Go... Describe any particular characteristics of your workforce? 

 

What are the main occupation types employed?

Gardaí throughout the Service are supported in their duties by a number of specialist units. These include:

  • Air Support Unit
  • Mounted Unit
  • Water Unit
  • Fingerprint Unit
  • Photographic Unit
  • Mapping Unit
  • Ballistics Unit
  • Technical Support Services
  • The National Bureau of Fraud Investigation
  • Criminal Assets Bureau
  • Garda National Drugs Unit
  • Garda National Immigration Bureau

There are also units to deal with armed terrorists and criminal gangs.

Membership of these units is open to all members of the Garda Service on completion of three years in mainstream operational police duties.

Career Opportunities for Civilians

Over 2,500 full-time and part-time Civilian Staff work in An Garda Síochána. These staff members are civil servants who provide important support services across a wide range of work areas.

Work areas administered by Civilian Personnel include:

  • Human Resources
  • Communications
  • Information and Communications Technology
  • Finance and Procurement
  • Research and Analysis

Civilian personnel wholly or largely staff several vital operational support areas such as the Garda Central Vetting Unit, the Garda Information Services Centre, and the Fixed Charge Processing Office.

Full details of civilian opportunities are available here.

What types of work contract are offered?
  • Full time Garda recruits
  • Part time (voluntary) Garda Reserve
  • Civilian personnel

For more detailed information on the Garda Reserve, please view their full profile here.

What are the key attractions?

The Garda Síochána College provides for a continuum of education/training from Trainee Garda stage up to the development of Officers at the highest level. Continuing education/training up to Honours Degree level is provided at regular intervals as member’s progress within the Garda Service.

Members who are promoted to the rank of Sergeant and Inspector undergo an education/development course designed to provide them with the necessary skills of supervision, leadership and communication.

Members promoted to the rank of Superintendent and Chief Superintendent participate in a management education/development programme designed to provide them with the knowledge and skills to manage their respective areas of responsibility.

What locations do you operate from?

There are Garda Stations located all around the country many of which are manned on a twenty four hour basis.

There are many more areas of deployment. These include National Units, for example:

  • The Garda National Drugs Unit
  • The Garda Bureau of Fraud Investigation
  • The Garda Water Unit
  • The Air Support Unit. 

Other areas of deployment include International missions, for example the U.N. missions to Cyprus.

What are the current employment trends?

All members commence employment at Garda rank, except for members who are promoted into An Garda Síochána from the Police Service of Northern Ireland or for those who are successful in the externally advertised position of Commissioner and Deputy Commissioner.

Describe any particular characteristics of your workforce?

Male-Female staff ratio 

In recent years the male-female staff ratio has changed. In 1997 when the strength of An Garda Síochána was 10,960 there were 949 female members which equated to 8.6% of the total organisation. Currently females equate to over 25% of the organisation.

Age and Service Profile

Age Group Number  % of Service
24 & Under 89 0.7%
25 - 29 983 7.7%
30 - 34 3170 24.7%
35 - 39 3123 24.3%
40 - 44 2335 18.2%
45 - 49 1235 9.6%
50 and Over 1908 14.8%

 

Years Service Number % of Service
Up to 4 297 2.3%
5 - 9 4132 32.2%
10 - 14 2555 19.9%
15 - 19 2335 18.2%
20 - 24 1547 12%
25 - 29 559 4%
30+ 1418 11%







 

Garda Trainee
Aishling Butler
"Do voluntary work, help your community whether it be community alert or your local GAA club getting involved is the bast way you can prepare. "
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Aishling Butler
   
Probationer Garda
Peter Clifford
"People sometimes see the Gardaí as disciplinarians but in a lot of situations we help people who are very emotional and vulnerable."
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Peter Clifford
   
Garda Trainee
Steven Kilgannon
"If you spend time in the Garda Reserve you know you won't drop out of the full time force."
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Steven Kilgannon
   
Garda Trainee
Mark Spain
"I was seven years waiting to get in, it's hard to describe how good it felt."
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Mark Spain
   
Garda Trainee
Jack McGovern
"I was a Garda Reserve for a year and a half, there is no better way to get an insight into the job."
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Jack McGovern
   
Garda
Nan Hu
"If you are a minority group in Ireland thinking about joining An Garda Síochána - Go for it!"
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Nan Hu
   
Garda
Emilia Gilroy
"The job means seeing people at their worst in the most difficult circumstances and making life changing decisions. "
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Emilia Gilroy
   
Garda
Niamh Briggs
"I love that more often than not I get to work outdoors and meet so many different characters."
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Niamh Briggs
   
Detective Sergeant
Martha Francis
"There are a lot of cases where being a woman in An Garda Síochána is sometimes required such as dealing with female victims. "
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Martha Francis
   
Garda Trainee
Aoife O'Malley
"Muna bhfuil Gaeilge ar bith ag na Gardaí ní bheidh siad in ann caint lena daoine sean sa ghaelteacht nach bhfuil Bearla ar bith acu.  "
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Aoife O'Malley
   

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