Taoiseach Simon Harris admits being a garda is a “really difficult job” amid surge in resignations

The Fine Gael leader made the comments after the Irish Mirror revealed that some 110 officers have resigned from the force so far this year

Taoiseach Simon Harris acknowledges being a garda is “really difficult” but still believes it can be a job for life.

The Fine Gael leader made the comments after the Irish Mirror exclusively revealed yesterday more than 100 officers have already quit the force this year.

The Taoiseach revealed work was being done at Government level to establish what more could be done to ensure those who join stay in the Gardai.

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When asked about our story, he said: “I’m conscious now that there is roughly every 12 weeks a new class graduating from Templemore.

“That the Garda college is now busier for want of a better phrase than it has been at any time in recent years.

“I think we saw around 150 odd, 157 I think, gardai graduate from Templemore in July.

"By my count that should mean we should see the next class graduate again in September.”

He added: “I do understand that being a guard is a difficult job, it’s a really difficult job and we are actively engaging with what more we can do to encourage and promote retention - is it a job for life? For many people, it will be.”

The Taoiseach also stressed that it is more common nowadays for people to have a number of jobs throughout their careers.

But he said he was confident that the force was back in an era of “growing garda numbers”.

The Fine Gael leader explained: “I’m also conscious that we’re probably living in an era where lots of people will do a number of jobs through their career and that’s why I think it was a good thing that the Government decided to increase the age at which you could become a guard and also increase the age with which you could retire as a guard to allow for the fact that people might want to have had a career before.

He added: “I think work patterns are changing but I am confident we’re back into an era of growing garda numbers.”

Earlier this year, the Government announced that the age limit to apply to become a Garda trainee increased from 35 years to 50 years old while the age of retirement jumped to 62.

Yesterday, Vice-President of the Garda Representative Association, Detective Garda Niall Hodgins, told us that the number of people leaving the force “was reaching crisis levels.”

Det Garda Hodgins said many of the officers who quit simply could not cope with what he said was the unbearable stress of modern policing in Ireland.

He said: “Many of those members who left in the past three years cited such challenges as unbearable stress, workload, and a feeling of isolation and abandonment which forced them to look for an alternative career.”

The Irish Mirror established that some 110 officers have resigned so far this year.

That comes after 109 quit in 2022 and a massive 164 resigned last year. It’s now feared that the full 2024 number of resignations will match or even surpass the figure for 2023 – which itself was a record.

The Irish Mirror also pressed the Taoiseach on what resources will be given to Gardai probing far right agitators stirring up hate and misinformation online.

The Fine Gael boss vowed the Government would continue “to support and resource fully” the Gardai in tackling those who seek to stir up hate and division across the country.

In response, Taoiseach Harris said: “In relation to those who seek to stir up hatred, misinformation, disinformation - this is something that I know across Government - we take extraordinarily seriously and I know that the Gardai do as well.

“Everybody can differentiate the difference between protest, engagement, dialogue, communities asking questions - all the normal healthy things that happen in our democracy and the small group and they are relatively small.

“They’re quite loud though who like to travel around the country stirring up hate and division and we regularly engage as a Government with the Gardai and the Minister for Justice in relation to this and we will continue to support and resource the gardai fully in relation to that too.”

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