O’Shea Welcomes Largest Attestation of New Gardaí Since 2019 and Major Boost for Cork

Cork North West Fine Gael TD John Paul O’Shea has warmly welcomed today’s attestation of 194 new Gardaí and 17 Garda Reserves at the Garda College in Templemore—marking the largest single intake of new members to An Garda Síochána since 2019—and the significant allocation of officers to Cork.

A total of 36 probationary Gardaí from today’s class will be assigned to the Cork City Division—bringing the number of probationers allocated to Cork this year to 76, the highest number since the reopening of the Garda College in 2014.

In total, the 194 new Gardaí—137 men and 57 women—will now be deployed across the Garda Divisions nationwide, including 87 in the Dublin Metropolitan Region, 47 in the Southern Region (which includes Cork), 39 in the Eastern Region, and 21 in the Northwestern Region.

Speaking following the attestation, Deputy O’Shea said “I am delighted to welcome this major strengthening of An Garda Síochána and, in particular, the substantial allocation of new Gardaí to Cork. High-visibility policing is essential for supporting safer communities, improving public confidence, and ensuring Gardaí have the resources they need to protect the public. Today’s attestation is a very important step forward.”

Deputy O’Shea added “This is a hugely welcome boost for Cork and will significantly strengthen policing capacity across the region. These new Gardaí will play a vital role in ensuring that communities, towns, and rural areas right across Cork feel supported and protected. I want to congratulate each of the newly attested officers and wish them every success as they begin their service.”

Deputy O’Shea also welcomed the Minister’s confirmation that more than 200 new Garda recruits—the largest class in over a decade—will enter the Garda College next week. “This strong pipeline of recruitment is very encouraging. With over 11,000 applications this year, it’s clear there is huge public commitment to serving in An Garda Síochána. Continued recruitment and investment will be crucial to meeting the needs of communities into the future.”