Fine Gael TD Emer Currie has said that a new Garda college should be opened in Blanchardstown.
Speaking in the Dáil this week, the Dublin West TD said that “the town of Templemore has served the state well,” but said that more garda recruits are needed.
As a result of the latest Garda recruitment campaign, the number of Gardaí on Irish streets will surpass 15,000 by the end of the year.
However, Currie questioned why there is only one Garda college for the entirety of Ireland, and said that a second Garda college should be set up in Dublin.
“I wish to ask the question: why only Templemore? The demands of modern policing are more complex than ever, while, at the same time, Ireland’s population is growing rapidly and becoming more diverse.”
“The nature of society, crime, urbanisation and the communities we live in have all changed utterly. The policing needs of the country have transformed just as our country has transformed,” she said.
Currie said, “the time has come for a second training college, one that should be based in Dublin.”
She said there is a “compelling case” to be made for Blanchardstown, noting the area’s status as one of Ireland’s fastest-growing population centres, along with a university, one of Ireland’s retail centres and the nearby TU Dublin campus.
Currie said that a second Garda college in Blanchardstown “would offer major recruitment advantages across Leinster and align Garda education with the future needs of policing, digital capability and emerging technology rooted in community engagement and modern urban policing skills.”
Since being elected to the Dáil in 2024, and building on her previous work in the Seanad, Currie has been a vocal advocate for West Dublin to receive more Garda resources.
“The K district is one of the busiest policing districts in the country; Blanchardstown is comparable in size and scale to a regional city but there is just one Garda station serving more than 100,000 people, compared to three stations in Limerick city.”
“Since 2012, over 8,300 homes have been built in Dublin 15. Entirely new communities have been developed but no new Garda station has opened,” she noted.
Currie said that opening a new Garda college would “send a signal” that the government are taking the issue of policing resources seriously.
“If we are serious about delivering the Garda numbers our communities need by 2030, we must be equally serious about where, when and how we train them. Dublin 15 is ready to play that role,” she said.
Taoiseach Michéal Martin noted that the Programme for Government made a commitment to expanding capacity at Templemore, and that the establishment of a second Garda college is being “considered.”
The Taoiseach noted “it does not all have to be in Dublin,” with regard to Garda training, saying “Templemore will always be the core training college.”
He did concede that “additionality may be required, even though we are breaking record numbers at the moment.”
“There is a high volume going through Templemore and there are 200 more going in. The overall workforce has gone from 15,980 to approximately 18,500 in the past ten years. Covid interrupted what happened in the college. We are committed to recruiting about 5,000 gardaí over the lifetime of the government, and so far it is going positively,” he said.
Currie made the argument that TUD Blanchardstown would be a good location for Garda training, noting “it is not just about the numbers.”
“It is about the types of policing challenges we now face, like digital capability and cybercrime. Where better to train than in a modern and dynamic university?”
“TUD Blanchardstown has the space, sports and exercise facilities and land zoned for educational purposes. The infrastructure exists for a pilot programme. We are a microcosm of modern urban Ireland, and we would be a great location for a second training college,” she argued.