The Justice Minister says she's keen to see an increase in the number of women joining the Gardai.
18 of the 100 new recruits who commenced training at the Templemore College are female.
Minister Frances Fitzgerald met with some of the trainees during a visit to the facility yesterday afternoon.
She says at 18% the latest batch of female Garda recruits are faring better than politics when it comes to gender balance.
Meanwhile the acting Garda Commissioner has also defended the number of women in the force.
Commissioner Nóirín O'Sullivan pointed out that over quarter of the current serving members of the force are female.
She says the fact that 18 women qualified from the near 25,000 people who applied to join the force this time round is significant.
