Garda Recruitment 2023/2024

katenihill

You don’t get your form B until after you pass the interview

Get Real

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121655218#Comment_121655218

I think this post needs to be put every few pages tbh.

Non-guard, "civilian" here. But having been a roommate with one in my early twenties (I now run my own business, and he resigned and now works in Dublin Fire brigade) I would seriously caution against joining.

I don't want to burst anyone's bubble, or seem pessimistic. I encourage you to pursue your goal if you can disregard the above poster, and the following:

People asking if they'll be based far away based on x,y,z. That is the least of your worries. Say you achieve a local enough station. It doesn't exempt you from the surprise mad hours or attending court. Childcare? Forget about it.

I view this latest age bracket increase with pessimism. An attempt to increase a supply of labour without actually addressing the retention of same.

If you're in your thirties/forties, especially with children, and have been used to a certain routine for decades, even if that involved shift work. This is entirely different.

On shift 7pm til 7am Wed into Thurs, come across and capture a burglary at 4am. Make your arrest. Interview til 9am. Charge the person, court at 10:30am-with all the other cases.

Your case gets called at 3pm. Do you go home with your hour commute each way or just go back to the station for your next Nightshift at 7pm Friday into Sat?

Similarly, you're due to finish at 7am on a random Monday. But, a person you arrested 2 years ago has a court hearing Monday morning at 10:30. Case could be called at 11, it could be called at 14:00. You don't know. It's down to luck.

How will you manage your kids being dropped to/picked up from school then?

I've seen it. These are the realities. The working time agreement isn't applicable to Guards. You're at the beck and call of the offender and the case. You'll be paid. But at what cost?

And now the govt have increased the age to 50. Don't be the victim of a political attempt to bolster recruitment numbers to then be let down on a daily basis with "tough, you have to". Best of luck and well wishes to anyone who is going ahead to whom this 1)doesn't apply or 2)doesn't have a family.

Edit: plus on top of that, after all your shift work, increased rates of cancer, cancelled social events and last minute childcare/impact on social life: it's a mandatory retirement age of 60. And it'll be 66/67 before you get your 13k a year pension (single public services scheme) so have another job in mind to maintain yourself from 60 on https://www.thejournal.ie/garda-pensions-bureaucracy-on-the-dole-6269141-Jan2024/

billyhead

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121686578#Comment_121686578

Also need to factor in the oversight bodies such as GSOC and the policing authority who can make the job difficult i.e. the criminal has more power nowadays.

Bec763

I am nervous about the initial online assessment stage, I really struggle within behaviour assessments, and its a robot deciding your fate based on your responses, freaks me out! Does anybody have any advice in prepping for it? I see a website offering a prep-course on stage 1 for €180 but not sure if it is any good. Any advice is appreciated :)

RarePhilosophy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121707665#Comment_121707665

If you practice the questions you get an idea of the response they sort of look for. I found the my prep course fairly decent and it does a job at explaining them.

salonfire

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121686578#Comment_121686578

You missed the part where they are reducing the amount of court time by having another garda deal with the case

https://www.lawsociety.ie/gazette/top-stories/2022/june/emergency-legislation-on-garda-court-presenters

Larbre34

-nonsense deleted by mod-

ruralevent101

Don’t know how you could be bothered at 46 lol

Larbre34

I ask in the rhetorical sense. Will this increase to 50 actually bring in many older than 35?

Witcher

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121713377#Comment_121713377

Court presenters have been in being for years, that article relates to an issue in 2022 when there was a challege to their authority to have audience before the courts. It's not taking any new court burden off Gardai.

Regardless, presenters don't deal with hearings, bail objections, bail revocations etc. Only remand dates and court related administrative matters.

qwerty2024

Whatsapp group set up for april intake for any 1 that has got an offer , pm and il add ye

Sierra Oscar

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121714704#Comment_121714704

Not to mention the fact that there aren't Court Presenters in every Court (something which really should have been addressed a long time ago).

CailínRua77

Can I just confirm, it's just Form A that needs to be submitted by the deadline, Form B will be requested in due course? I can't seem to find any information on this. Thanks.

Peter Flynt

Over 500 members left An Garda Síochána last year – highest number in five years

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/over-500-members-left-an-garda-siochana-last-year-highest-number-in-five-years/a541006947.html

Get Real

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121713377#Comment_121713377

Court presenters don't deal with hearings. Only the arresting Garda can give direct evidence. I referenced having hearings and gave an example of being on a Nightshift 7pm to 7am and having a hearing at 10am. Court presenters don't apply there.

Court presenters also don't deal with bail objections for offences such as burglaries, robberies etc where you arrest somebody during the night shift and have to go to court in the morning to object to their bail.

Court presenters also aren't present on Saturdays. Working a Nightshift Friday night and have a warrant or objecting to bail (courts sit Saturday) you've to go Saturday morning.

Court presenters deal with the (numerous) mention dates where disclosure is given etc. If they weren't there guards would also have to attend of course and the problems I highlighted would be ten fold.

But nothing in my post implied otherwise. Hearings and bail objections are mandatory arresting Garda attendance and "tough". I didn't "miss anything" as you put it.

You've linked court presenters as if that solves what I posted, I was merely stating the reality, one wonders how much worse it'd be if they weren't around.

The article you posted even says "Court presenters deal with procedural matters". Emphasis on procedural matters there. It also references bail applications. None of which, based on my roommate (who availed of the benefit of court presenters) covered him for bail objections based on the offence. I've seen it myself with his constant comings and goings. Nothing I posted was overstating the heavy emphasis of WORK in the work/life balance

johnnypulling99

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121642665#Comment_121642665

It

Stretch1432

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121725755#Comment_121725755

So for mention is the first court date where the court presenter gives details of arrest charge caution. The second court date is the hearing where the guard has to go ? Is that right ?

Get Real

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121726465#Comment_121726465

From my amateur understanding and what I've seen, it's not necessarily the second date that's a hearing.

A single court case could have 4, 5 or ten dates. First date. Then one for mention (seperate to a first date, see how the case is going, what's asked for for disclosure) Then another for disclosure itself. Then another for possibly more disclosure.

(Eg I know of mention from newspaper articles: this case will have had 3 court dates by April-1st date, mention, and disclosure-and there's no indication of it going to a hearing yet https://m.sundayworld.com/crime/courts/dublin-gaa-icon-diarmuid-connolly-charged-with-pub-assault/a1101048711.html)

For mention, disclosure etc the court presenter would be there, with the guard obviously having to do/get the disclosure in the background. But no need to go to court themselves.

I saw him alot then where it finally does get to hearing (date decided by court, not based on his schedule) so the guard goes, but then the offender doesn't bother showing up. So a warrant is issued.

Then the person is arrested and case appears again, say for a 6th time. Then a second hearing date is given. So the guard would go to that too and hopefully the defendant shows to that one, and so on, until it's finished.

Wouldn't be in a position to know much more, just goes a bit further on my original post on having an interest in the randomness of it and that he's now left it for the fire brigade, court on rest days/cancelled social events or leading to 3 hour sleeps to be back in for a hearing after a nightshift being one factor of many others in the overall work/life balance.

me_for_president

Has anyone thought of joining the prison service instead? Alot better in my opinion.

RarePhilosophy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121727224#Comment_121727224

I don’t think I’d like to be in a prison everyday. While I’m sure Gardai have to deal with lots of scum bags, you also get to speak to normal good people every so often (public desk work , welfare checks , doing enquiries). I think being a Guard would also provide a better variety of work, more options to move upwards or sideways in different roles.

Plenty of advantages to the prison service as well though. I’d imagine there would be less cancelled rest days or finishing late.

Stretch1432

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121727258#Comment_121727258

Very true i think the prison service would be more family friendly and less chance of you getting caught to go into work . I know you are expected to do 90 hours per quarter of overtime but there is no paperwork and you can plan ahead better plus i think they het paid a bit more.

Stretch1432

There are also lots of mules (ordinary rank and file gardai ) joining prison service.

https://m.independent.ie/irish-news/almost-100-gardai-apply-for-prison-officer-jobs-as-low-morale-is-driving-unprecedented-numbers-from-the-force/42317672.html

BaronVon

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121726465#Comment_121726465

First date is arrest, charge, and caution, and then depending on the charges, most likely put back for a mention date, in which the defendant can plead guilty (unlikely) and the guard can get the DPP's consent to proceed in the district court. Then normally set for hearing

Anonymous4321

I applied for the campaign launched a few weeks ago. Applications close on Thursday and I am just wondering does anyone who has previously applied know how long between applications closing and you getting an email saying you will / will not be progressing to the next stage is?

RarePhilosophy

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121730783#Comment_121730783

2023 campaign here. After stage 1 tests are complete , you will wait around a month and then find out a) if you passed and b) your order of merit (how well you did). The lower your order of merit , the quicker you will get to do your interview and fitness test. Then after all that vetting starts after fitness and could take anywhere from 3 months to 2 years (everyone is different).

Total process application to Templemore, you are looking from about 1-2 years. That’s only my estimate. You may find it different. Best of luck.

Anonymous4321

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/121730917#Comment_121730917

Thank you👍.

ascull98

Just a quick question aswell I’ve put in my application for this years campaign and I’m only after thinking do you just put in your highest level of education or do you also have to put in your leaving cert aswell ?

Anonymous4321

No i don’t think it would really matter because you just need to confirm that you have 120 NQF points or over, if i remember correctly.

ascull98

Perfect thank you ☺️

Irishguy215702

Just a few things for applicants to consider when applying for the job and need to go into it with eyes open:

i wont even get into it if you're joining and between ages of 35 to 50, you'll need to get checked into a hospital not the garda college.

Pension: many people join thinking the pension is great. we get fed this from our parents who are basing it on their era from their age. anyone joining post 2013 the pension is disgraceful. you will get about 215-230 euro a week when you reture at 60, which is in line with the old age pension which everyone in none state jobs get. when you join a station you will quickly be told of this and advised to pay into your own AVC to supplement your poor pension. this fact is kept very quiet as it no doubt will affect peoples thinking when applying for this job and correctly so. the lump sum payment at retirement has also been slashed since 2013. nobody realises this and isnt publicised about in the media nor will you find it marketed by them as a reason to join as it doesnt exist anymore. people are walking in blind thinking great pension setting me up for life

work life balance - won't be able to plan things for your days off due to required court appearances/ taking calls on work on days off also and also if you are sent to a call at the end of your last shift and arrest you have to work on into your day off to tie it up.

 

Rosters: as you may have read rosters are under discussion. despite the current one proposed being rejected by the GRA for non core units to be working 78 days extra a year working 7 days on, 2 days off, 7 days on 3 days off on 9 to 5 hrs, and lose thousands due to not working to non social hours. this new roster is still going live despite rejection from the people it affects most resulting in extra childcare fees due to working more days, fuel costs for travelling to work more often. management have power to do this without consent which is shocking in the day and age of work life balance and 4 day weeks being considered by private sector employers now.

 

Work: I appreciate many have wanted to do this since childhood and want it desperately for whatever is their reasons. if its for the day to day work then be prepared that it is all paper work orientated. everything is reports, duplication and beurocracy which snows everyone under. helping decent people is actually rare who for the majority will rarely come into contact with them in their lives but to get passports sorted etc. you will mainly be refereeing domestics with people who call you to get one over on an ex partner due to child custody or if its current partners they will later withdraw complaints but for it to start again further down the line, mental health persons which you are not trained to deal with, frauds which you will be beating your head off a wall trying to progress but cant due to banks delaying you and outside of this any other crimes tend to be between one low life against another one or wrestling with drunk lads on cold rainy nights out facing being attacked.

morale is rock bottom in the job, people are resigning in their droves as they see the realities and the work load expected of them, the day of staying in the job until retirement is in the past now which used to be the case for sure. i know many will view this as overly negative summary of the job so what i would advise is before following through with it talk to others you know in the job and hear what they have to say first. i dont know anyone in it that would recommend it anyways.