A 2023 Garda Recruitment Campaign will open Friday, March 24th 2023 until 3pm on Friday, 14th April 2023 according to official sources. Applications can only be made on the Public Appointments Service website www.publicjobs.ie. Prepare for success in the recruitment competition with our Garda Complete Package . Those that apply when a Garda recruitment competition opens will be required to undertake aptitude tests in Stage 1 of the competition. Start preparing for success at your Stage 1 aptitude tests with our renowned Garda Complete Package today!

Eligibility criteria is set out at the start of each respective campaign. With regard to age requirements, the Information Booklet released by the PAS for the most recent campaign stated;

To be eligible for selection as a Trainee, an applicant must:

(iv) Be 18 years of age but not yet 35 years of age at midnight on Friday, 14th April 2023

As these notes are from the last campaign, we would expect that the birth date ranges would naturally update for the next campaign, but that 35 would remain the upper age limit for candidates.

The most recent campaign stated the following for applicants in terms of education requirements:

by the closing date:

(a) have obtained an Irish Leaving Certificate with a grade D3 or O6 minimum in five

subjects at Ordinary Level*, or

(b) hold a minimum of a Level 5 Major award (120 Credits) on the National Framework

of Qualifications (NFQ), or

(c) hold a recognised qualification (at Level 5 or greater), deemed comparable to the

above in terms of both level and volume of learning as determined by Quality

and Qualifications Ireland (QQI)

In terms of educational requirements a Level 5 Certificate (Major award) on the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ) or a recognised qualification (at Level 5 or greater), deemed comparable to the above in terms of both level and volume of learning as determined by Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) can be used instead of Leaving Certificate.

be proficient in either or both of the following:

i) the Irish language

ii) the English language

With regard to the residency requirements for An Garda Síochána, on page 4 of the Notes for Candidates booklet they state:

“To be eligible for selection as a Trainee, an applicant must:

(a) Be a national of a European Union Member State, or

(b) Be a national of a European Economic Area State or the Swiss Confederation; or

(c) Be a Refugee under the Refugee Act, 1996; or

(d) Have had a period of one year’s continuous residence in the State on the closing date of the advertisement for the competition for the vacancy to which the admission relates, and during the eight years immediately preceding that period, has had a total residence in the State amounting to four years;

(e) Has been granted subsidiary protection, or is a family member of such a person, in compliance with the Admissions and Appointments Regulations 2013.”

Source: https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/debates/question/2017-03-21/105/

Members of An Garda Síochána are eligible to apply for additional increments based on their educational qualifications as per Section 13.10 of The Garda Síochána Finance Code on successful completion of their probationary period.

Under the Garda Code, members of An Garda Síochána who, on appointment to An Garda Síochána, hold any of the qualifications listed below may, after completion of two years’ service, apply for additional increments as follows:

(i) One additional increment in respect of at least one Grade ‘B’ and two Grade ‘C’ in three subjects (which must include Mathematics and English or Irish) at Honours level in the established Leaving Certificate Examination or Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme;

or

(ii) Three additional increments in respect of a Diploma or Degree from a third level educational institution. The Degree or Diploma must be full time, of two or four years duration, and be awarded by a third level institution recognised by the HETAC, or a recognised Irish statutory authority.

These increments are payable in addition to the increments for which the member might qualify under paragraph (i) above.

The Code makes no provision for payment of additional increments to serving members who complete Diploma or Degree level courses following their appointment to An Garda Síochána.

I am further informed that where the applicant completed a full time Degree/Diploma over five years due to for example taking a year off, repeating exams, etc, the member would still qualify under the code.

Each application is, considered on its own merits and is processed in accordance with the Garda Code.

Garda Trainees are assigned to a station upon their attestation from the Garda College.

A Garda may apply for a transfer once he/she has completed his/her probationary period. However if a Garda member has under 5 years of service they cannot be within 80 km of their home station. The restriction is 50km thereafter. The Dublin Metropolitan Region (DMR) and the cities of Cork, Limerick, Waterford, Galway and Kilkenny are exempt from this rule however this is no guarantee that if you are from these areas you will be based near home.

It must be stressed that there is absolutely no guarantee of a transfer to a preferred location and the likelihood of serving away from home is extremely high.