Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I support Senators in their contributions and agree with them that the reserve plays a really important role in supporting An Garda Síochána and in assisting gardaí in their work. The workforce of An Garda Síochána includes front-line gardaí, civilian staff and our reserve and we need to look at the overall numbers for all three areas. Senators are right to say that the numbers have dropped. While the number of gardaí had increased, it dropped during the Covid pandemic because of the closure of the college to new recruits. The number of civilian staff has continued to increase but the number in the reserve has not continued to increase in the same way. The last competition was in 2017. There was to be a new competition but it was decided that there needed to be a review of the regulations we had because a competition had not taken place in some time. That review has already taken place. It looked at the role and duties of the Garda Reserve as it supports and complements the work of the Garda. Following on from that review, new regulations are being developed. There was engagement with all of the relevant associations. That engagement has already happened so the Commissioner will be in a position to open up a new competition early in the new year. That will coincide with a new recruitment campaign for An Garda Síochána more broadly.

At the moment, if somebody does more than 208 hours per annum, he or she can be remunerated up to €1,000 but the position of reservist is voluntary and this is just to cover the costs reservists might have incurred, including travel and other expenses. Work is being done and there has been work on reviewing the overall role of the reserve, which has resulted in new regulations I will be able to sign off on shortly. There will be a new recruitment campaign early in the new year. The more who apply, the more the reserve can support the work of An Garda Síochána more generally.I support the role of the Garda Reserve and hope to see new recruits in the new year because many of them then go on to became gardaí and it is an opening mark for many of them.