GARDAÍ ARE SET to launch a social media blitz today to attract immigrants to return home to join the force as they begin their new recruitment campaign.  

As reported on Tuesday by The Journal cabinet has cleared the way for the garda organisation will begin a major drive to recruit 1,000 new guards to fix an ailing campaign for trainees.

The new campaign will see a major media spread of adverts across social media, radio and television.

The theme of the campaign, which will be open for three weeks, will have the theme “that it can be a tough job – but it is a job worth doing”. 

The strategy will see gardaí setting up information stands, advertising across third level colleges and also targeting under represented parts of society. 

They will also bring in several measures to help applicants, including help with fitness tests and direct and regular engagement by the Force with people who have expressed interest in becoming a garda. 

To promote the recruitment competition, a €550,000 promotional campaign under the tagline of “It’s A Job Worth Doing” will go live across TV, national and local print and radio, online, social media, and outdoor from Friday.

The campaign will also target Irish people living in countries such as the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. 

The campaign is based on insights from Gardaí and features real-life examples from individual Gardaí of how they have helped people and communities.

The Government has set a target of 15,000 gardaí but it has emerged that the Force is struggling to bring enough applicants to its Tipperary training college in Templemore. 

Earlier in March the Taoiseach, Leo Varadkar, acknowledged that the Government is going to have a ”big job” ahead of it to secure the 1,000 recruits they promised in the budget last year. 

Varadkar had said that there was a 1% resignation rate in An Garda Síochána and that this would require a concerted effort to replace those who have left the Force.

Previously The Journal reported on an increase in resignations of trainees.

To promote the recruitment competition, a €550,000 promotional campaign under the tagline of “It’s A Job Worth Doing” will go live across TV, national and local print and radio, online, social media, and outdoor from Friday.

The campaign will also target Irish people living in countries such as the UK, US, Canada, Australia and New Zealand. 

The campaign is based on insights from Gardaí and features real-life examples from individual Gardaí of how they have helped people and communities.

The campaign aims to show the nature of the job – working at 4am, making arrests, being physical active, as well as the significant personal and social benefits such as engaging with communities, arresting criminals, helping victims of crime, and the camaraderie of colleagues.

There are currently more than 200 trainees in the Garda College, and four further tranches of 225 recruits will enter Templemore throughout the rest of the year.

Almost 500 passed through the college in 2022, between those who attested or started their training.