Ireland’s Garda training system is set for further development after Justice Minister Jim O’Callaghan published the report of the Garda Training Review Group. The review makes 21 recommendations designed to strengthen education, recruitment, workforce planning and professional development in An Garda Síochána over the next decade.
Garda Training Review keeps Templemore at the centre
The Government has confirmed that Templemore Garda College will remain the primary training facility for new recruits. The college has served as the main Garda training centre since 1964, and planned investment is expected to allow it to accommodate up to 1,000 new recruits each year.
The review group was established in January 2026 to assess current training arrangements and future policing requirements. Its work included consideration of whether Ireland needed a second Garda training college outside Templemore. The group concluded that a second college was not required.
Three main faculties currently operate at the Templemore campus:
- Foundation training for new Garda recruits
- Leadership, management and professional development
- Crime, specialist and operational skills
21 recommendations for An Garda Síochána
The Garda Training Review Group organised its recommendations into three broad areas:
- Strategic and operational planning: including workforce planning and capital development.
- Planning for future flexibility: ensuring training can respond to changing policing demands.
- Education and training development: improving professional learning and long-term skills development.
The report also recommends stronger, more formal partnerships between An Garda Síochána and regional universities or technological universities. These relationships could provide access to specialist expertise, research and accredited programmes that may be difficult to develop internally.
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Minister to discuss implementation with Garda Commissioner
Minister O’Callaghan welcomed recruitment progress and said future workforce planning must remain aligned with policing needs. He thanked the review group, chaired by former senior civil servant Jim Breslin, for its work and confirmed that he will discuss implementation of the recommendations with the Garda Commissioner.
The group examined police training internationally, researched attitudes towards Garda recruitment, visited Templemore and engaged with higher education institutions across Ireland. It met eight times during its work.
The review involved officials from the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration, the Department of Further and Higher Education, Research, Innovation and Science, the Office of Public Works, the Higher Education Authority and An Garda Síochána.
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What the Garda Training Review means
The report’s central message is that Ireland will build on Templemore rather than establish a second Garda college. Alongside investment in facilities, stronger links with higher education providers could help Garda personnel access continuing education and specialist training throughout their careers.
The publication is a government press release from the Department of Justice, Home Affairs and Migration. The full report, titled Report of the Garda Training Review Group June 2026, is available through gov.ie.
Key takeaway: The Garda Training Review supports Templemore as the centre of Garda education while calling for improved workforce planning, flexible training structures and stronger university partnerships.
Article/Image Courtesy: gov.ie
