Last year saw a 26 percent increase in the number of people identified by An Garda Síochána as potential victims of human trafficking, according to the police force’s latest annual report.
A total of 67 people were identified by gardaí as potential victims of human trafficking in 2024, up from 53 in 2023, which was itself an increase of 26 percent on 2022.
Minister for Justice, Home Affairs and Migration Jim O’Callaghan published the 2024 Annual Report, which outlines the challenges gardaí are facing, as well as its achievements.
Foremost among the identified challenges is the “major rise in road deaths” during the first half of 2024, commented upon by former Commissioner Drew Harris in his foreword to the report.
The figures offered by the report state that 2024 saw a total of 176 fatalities, which was more than 10 percent above average for the past five years.
However, the report notes that there were seven fewer fatalities than 2023.
Last year also saw a significant increase in the number of missing persons “still missing”, which means that the missing person status in relation to the incident in question is ‘Missing’ currently.
There were 88 missing persons still missing by the end of 2024, compared to 36 for 2023 and 27 for 2022.
Meanwhile, on the issue of garda retention, then-Commissioner Harris wrote that while “we never want professional and dedicated Gardaí to leave early,” the number of gardaí who resigned in 2024 was 138.
This comes as gardaí continue to drive for new recruits, with more than 11,000 people applying to become a garda in 2025.
The Government committed to recruiting up to 1,000 gardaí over the course of the next year, a target described by Minister O’Callaghan as “achievable but challenging”.
However, an independent garda report suggested that that level of recruitment is not possible at present.
Under the heading Non-compliance with procurement rules, the annual report states that the force complied with the guidelines “with the exception of 65 contracts in excess of €25,000 (exclusive of VAT) in 2024 undertaken without a competitive process, totalling €14,219,147(exclusive of VAT)”.
Each of the services and items covered by those contracts are to be reviewed with the aim to tender and put contracts in place where necessary, according to the report.
The report also outlines the security challenges Ireland is facing.
It highlights the August 2024 “terrorist attack” that occurred when military chaplain Fr Paul Murphy was subjected to a knife attack at Renmore army barracks in Co. Galway.
The report says that as a result of an “increasingly volatile security environment” in many parts of the world, it is “entirely reasonable to assess that the domestic security service in Ireland will require further development and expansion in the coming years”.
“Ireland is not immune from the security issues that exist across Europe, in addition to addressing the current and emerging security threats within this country which emanate from a variety of actors,” it reads.
One area that receives extensive focus from both the former commissioner in his forward and throughout is the investment in and reliance upon the force’s public order capacity.
“Notably, Gardaí showed great bravery and composure when policing violent incidents at public gatherings, which saw them come under unacceptable physical and verbal assault,” Mr Harris wrote in the foreword.
“To help protect Gardaí policing such situations, An Garda Síochána continued to invest during the year in public order protective equipment, vehicles and training.
“Over €6m was spent in the area of public order support material in 2024, adding to the €2.5m invested in 2023. This saw An Garda Síochána provide stronger incapacitant spray, new shields, new vehicles, and new body armour, while providing additional training. The procurement process for two water cannons began in 2024 and they were delivered in early 2025,” he wrote.
The garda annual report for 2024 can be found in full here.