People born in Serbia, Canada and England among 70 newly sworn-in Gardai

People born in Serbia, Canada and England are among 70 newly sworn-in Gardai. 

The new members of An Garda Síochána were sworn in alongside their new colleagues this morning (Friday March 11), bringing the total number of Gardai nationwide to 14,385. 

All regions of Ireland were represented, with the majority coming from Dublin, followed closely by the east.

The newly qualified members are made up of 46 men and 25 women, all of whom began their training in July 2021 during the Covid-19 pandemic and have undertaken a blend of online and on-site learning at the Garda College. 

Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said, "Training to become a member of An Garda Síochána can be demanding under normal circumstances, however undertaking the programme during the Covid crisis will have made it all the more challenging for this intake of trainees.

"This group has quickly adapted to a new model of hybrid learning, and each of the 70 Gardaí being attested today has already shown their commitment to keeping people safe. I admire their personal strength in seeing the programme through to today’s attestation.

"I am pleased that on a week when we have just marked International Women’s Day, 35% of the new Gardaí passing out today are women, and with already one of the highest rates of female officers in Europe, it is our hope that we can continue building on this progress." 

He added: "These new Gardaí will begin their operational duties right away, and will help implement community policing initiatives as well as work to detect and prevent crime in communities throughout the country.

"This is a proud day for the 70 newly attested Gardaí and their families and I very much look forward to following their careers in the organisation while they work hard to keep people safe." 

The newly sworn-in Gardaí will now take on operational responsibilities.