31 newly attested Gardai to be allocated to the Eastern Region
This morning 167 Gardaí were attested as sworn members of An Garda Síochána, with 31 of those to be allocated to the Eastern region of the country. Three probationer Gardaí have been allocated to Navan and five to Ashbourne following their attestation.
As of today, Friday 6th February 2026:
• 14,564 Sworn Gardaí
• 3,692 Garda Staff
• 308 Garda Reserves
• 625 Garda Trainees
• 100 Male/ 67 Female (60% male, 40% female)
• 23 Gardaí born outside the State (Australia, Brazil, Croatia, England, Guatemala, India, Isle of Man, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Mauritius, Poland, Romania, Slovakia).
These 167 newly-sworn Gardaí will now take on operational responsibilities and will be allocated as follows:
• Dublin Region - 104
• Eastern Region - 31
• Southern Region - 21
• North Western Region - 11
Speaking on the announcement, Fianna Fáil TD for Meath West, Deputy Aisling Dempsey said: “This is very welcome news for the people of Meath. Having more Gardaí visible and working in our communities strengthens local policing, helps deter crime and, most importantly, reassures people that they are safe.”
"I want to pay tribute to the Gardaí serving in our area for their dedication and professionalism, which communities across Meath West rely on every day. I will continue to support sustained investment in our Garda resources and personnel to ensure they have what they need to do their jobs effectively."
Speaking at the Garda College, Minister Jim O’Callaghan said: “I am very pleased to see another 167 new Gardaí attest from Templemore today. This is the first of four attestations due to take place this year and I look forward to larger classes attesting as the year progresses."
“This cohort of newly attested Gardaí will take up positions in communities across the country as they begin a career of service to their communities, and to the people of Ireland. They join a tradition that stretches back over a century, one built on trust, integrity, and a steadfast commitment to the public they serve.
“Under Budget 2026 I secured funding of €2.74 billion for An Garda Síochána to support recruitment and staffing. I will work with the Garda Commissioner to optimise recruitment. This includes expanding capacity of the training college."
The allocation of Probationer Gardaí is initially to Training Garda Stations and allows for consequential inter-divisional transfers of other members.
These newly-attested 167 members of An Garda Síochána were recruited as part of the 2024/25 recruitment campaigns.
The 167 newly-attested Gardaí bring to nearly 1,800 the number of Probationer Gardaí attested since recruitment recommenced in 2022 (post Covid).
A further 410 Garda recruits (Intakes 253, 254) are currently undergoing the training programme at the Garda College.
The next intake of Garda recruits (Intake 261) of up to 215 Garda Trainees, will enter the Garda College on Monday 9th February 2026.
Intake 261 will bring to over 2,500, the number of Garda Trainees that have started in the Garda College since recruitment recommenced in 2022 post Covid.