How do you become a Garda?

(1) Be of good character. physically and mentally to perform the duties of a member of the Service. (3) Have passed a Physical Competence Test. (4) Be 18 years of age but not yet 35 years of age on midnight of the 6th June 2018, therefore you must have been born between 7th June 1983 and 6th June 2000.

How long does it take to become a Garda?

The Trainee Garda/Probationer training programme is delivered over 104 weeks leading to a BA in Applied Policing. The initial period of 34 weeks which includes two weeks leave comprises a block period at the Garda College.

Is it hard to become a Garda?

Unfortunately, it is not easy to become a member of An Garda Síochána. To do this, you must prove yourself by navigating through a rigorous selection process. This process will not be made any easier by the vast numbers of people who will be applying for the recruitment campaign.

How much does it cost to become a Garda?

A spokesperson for the Department of Justice estimated that it cost €9,200 per recruit to be trained up to the point where they are stationed and have full powers. Of that €1,200 goes towards the new uniform. So with 100 new recruits just started – that's a cost of €920,000.

How much does a Garda earn?

The Garda Pay Scale has been subject to significant changes in recent years. It has seen an increase in pay for members by 3% in three years. The first point of the Garda pay scale has increased from €30,296 in January 2019 to €32,921 in September 2022.

Garda Training

What age can Garda retired?

Members of the Garda Síochána must retire by age 60. If they joined after 2004, they can choose to retire as early as age 55.

Are gardaí allowed tattoos?

Gardaí must not have visible face or neck tattoos, men's hair is to be short above the ear, women's hair can be collar length or tied up and tucked away under the hat, never over the eyebrows or the face, with no visible buns or ponytails and definitely "no combination of unnatural colours".

Do you have to speak Irish to join the Garda?

Under the new rules applicants to join the force will no longer have to hold a qualification in Irish or English. Instead, they will have to be able to prove they are competent in two languages, at least one of which must be English or Irish.

Is being a Garda a good job?

It's a great job if you want to live and work this way. Cons- Bad management, sheep syndrome, poor work life balance, sycophants and old sweat attitudes by senior members.

What is the Garda beep test?

The fitness tests contains a progressive shuttle run (or bleep test), a sit-up test with a one-minute time limit, and a press-up test that is untimed. Pass rates are set differently according to age group and gender with male recruits between 18 and 25 facing the stiffest targets in each category.

What is the maximum age to join the Gardaí?

Persons wishing to join the Garda Reserve must be between 18 and 60 years when they commence the prescribed training.

What are the perks of being a Garda?

Can a Garda have a second job?

Under the Garda code, members of An Garda Síochána are forbidden from taking other employment in a wide range of jobs, including security.

Do Garda trainees get paid?

Garda Trainees will receive an allowance of €184 per week for the 33 weeks leading to attestation. Accommodation and food is provided by An Garda Síochána while resident in the Garda College. Garda Trainees attest after 33 weeks and move onto the first point of the Garda incremental pay scale of €32,421.

Do Garda detectives carry guns?

Armed Gardaí

The Gardaí is primarily an unarmed force; however, detectives and certain units such as the regional Armed Support Units (ASU) and the national Emergency Response Unit (ERU) are commissioned to carry firearms and do so.

What hours do gardaí work?

A Garda therefore, works 227 days (1,816 hours) (of 8hrs shifts or equivalent) per annum. Public Holidays when they fall to be so rostered are regarded as working days save that they command a special allowance. Subject to certain conditions, annual leave may be availed of in half days.

Are gardaí well paid?

In total, the top-10 highest-paid garda sergeants took home a cumulative €439,731 between January and October. The same figure for rank-and-file gardaí over the same 10-month period was €368,574, an average of around €37,000 each.

What does Garda mean in Irish?

: a police officer in the Republic of Ireland.

Do I have to give Garda my name?

If you do not give your name, address and date of birth, a Garda may require you to provide a name and address. For example, if a Garda suspects that you have committed a road traffic offence or a public order offence, the Garda can demand your name and address.

What do Irish call police?

The Republic of Ireland has one national civilian police force, called “An Garda Síochána”, meaning 'Guardians of the Peace of Ireland'. It has 14,500 staff members and provides both local and national law enforcement services. It is commonly referred to as “Garda”.

Can gardaí wear earrings?

Female gardaí can wear only one set of small stud type earrings. Wrist and ankle bracelets are forbidden, as are nose, eyebrow, lip, tongue or any other visible body piercings, but exceptions may be made for specialist operations.

Can Garda wear glasses?

General medical requirements are as follows:

Eyesight - good levels of vision (minimum distance vision of 6/18 on both eyes that can be corrected to 6/9 and 6/12 with glasses or contact lenses if necessary).

How much does a Garda Inspector earn?

Some gardaí are more than doubling their annual salary in overtime and special allowances, new figures obtained by The Irish Times reveal.

How much is a Garda pension in Ireland?

In response to a Freedom of Information (FOI) request, the Garda FOI unit confirmed that the top lump sum amount paid out in 2020 was to a retiring senior garda who received €212,595 with a second receiving €210,989. A further 12 Garda members shared pension lump sums of between €150,000 and €200,000.