The graduation of 24 new gardaí has taken place at the Garda College in Templemore this morning.
The newly sworn members -18 men and seven women - brings the total number of gardaí to 14,157, while 89 recruit gardaí are currently in training
The new members of An Garda Síochána are the last members to have applied to join the organisation during the 2019 recruitment campaign and bring that campaign to a close.
The new gardaí commenced training in May last year and have undertaken a blend of on-line learning, on-site learning in the Garda College, and experiential learning in training garda stations.
Speaking at today's ceremony, Garda Commissioner Drew Harris said: "Our duties and responsibilities as Ireland's national police and security service have broadened substantially since our foundation 100 years ago.
"But one thing has remained resolute - the strong and unique bond with the communities that we serve – firmly built on a tradition of policing by consent."
He also said that the new gardaí will serve in cities, towns and villages and "they will play an important role in maintaining this connection".
Minister for Justice Simon Harris said: "Their commitment to the security of the people of Ireland and to building stronger, safer communities is something which is to be commended and which we are all grateful for."
Minister Harris said that from next month, 200 recruits will enter the Garda College in Templemore every 11 weeks "to meet our target, funded in Budget 2023, of recruiting 1,000 new Gardaí in 2023".
He also said that in the coming months, a new recruitment campaign for An Garda Síochána will be launched to ensure there is a steady pipeline of recruits entering the college over the coming years.
