According to newly released figures from An Garda Síochána, 555 Gardaí were injured in the line of duty in 2024, a reduction of 126 compared to 2023.

The data, obtained under freedom of information legislation, reveals that over half of all workplace injuries among Gardaí resulted from assaults. These included three officers injured during violent clashes in July with anti-immigration protesters outside the former Crown Paints factory in Coolock, which was designated to house international protection applicants. However, the statistics do not account for two off-duty Gardaí who were seriously injured in an alleged assault on Dame Street in December.

In total, there were 309 recorded incidents of Gardaí being assaulted while on duty last year, with nearly 10% of these occurring in the Kerry division alone.

In response to the risks faced by Gardaí and other emergency workers, the government increased the maximum sentence for assaulting or threatening to assault an officer from seven to 12 years in November 2023.

Overall, approximately 4% of all frontline Gardaí suffered some form of injury in 2024, based on Garda staffing levels from October of that year. However, injury rates varied significantly by region. Kerry recorded the highest proportion, with 12% of its 340 Gardaí sustaining injuries, including 30 who were assaulted. Among them were four officers attacked in April after arresting a wheelchair-bound man who later threatened to have terrorists bomb Killarney Garda station.

Other divisions with above-average injury rates included Sligo-Leitrim (10%), Clare-Tipperary (7%), and Galway and Louth-Cavan-Monaghan (both 6%).

Some Garda divisions reported injury rates as low as 2%, half the national average. These included Dublin North Central—despite its high crime rate—as well as Kildare, Laois/Offaly, and Dublin South.

The Clare-Tipperary division recorded the highest total number of injuries in 2024, with 48 cases, though this was a slight decrease from 2023. In addition to 27 assaults, the division reported 11 Gardaí injured in road traffic collisions—making up more than one in seven of the 70 traffic-related injuries recorded nationwide.

Beyond assaults and vehicle accidents, the third most common cause of injury for Gardaí was slips, trips, and falls, affecting 66 members. Another 43 Gardaí reported injuries due to “body movement,” while 31 were harmed by contact with sharp, pointed, or rough objects.

Additionally, 11 officers suffered needle-stick injuries, stab wounds, or exposure to blood and other bodily fluids. Ten Gardaí were injured by animals, while two in Wicklow suffered smoke inhalation.

One case of psychological shock or trauma was recorded in the Dublin North division.

Alongside injuries recorded across 23 Garda divisions, 35 Gardaí attached to specialist units were also injured in 2024, with a fifth of these cases linked to road traffic collisions.