Written answers

Tuesday, 14 February 2012

Department of Justice, Equality and Defence

Garda Strength

9:00 pm

Photo of Seán KyneSeán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 535: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality while acknowledging retirements within An Garda Síochána and the requirements to reduce Garda numbers as set out in the EU-IMF financial assistance plan, when recruitment to the Garda Training College at Templemore, County Tipperary, may recommence. [8409/12]

Photo of Alan ShatterAlan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The moratorium on Public Service Recruitment continues to apply to An Garda Síochána and no date has been fixed for future intakes into the Garda College. A decision on when recruitment will re-commence will, as the Deputy points out, take into account the rate of retirements in the Garda Síochána and Government targets, set in the context of the agreement with the EU and the IMF, to reduce the numbers of public servants.

Of course, what will ultimately determine the sustainable level of Garda numbers, and therefore establish when recruitment will recommence, is the level of budgetary provision that can be made for the Force, and the House will be conscious that difficult decisions will continue to have to be made, right across the public sector, in order to bring our public finances back into balance.

Photo of Seán KyneSeán Kyne (Galway West, Fine Gael)
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Question 536: To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality if potential Garda recruits who completed a medical examination and were on the list awaiting to be called-up prior to the temporary cessation of recruitment are still regarded as being on the list or if they will have to undergo new medical examinations pending the possible resumption of recruitment in the foreseeable future. [8412/12]

Photo of Alan ShatterAlan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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I am informed by the Garda Authorities that there is a Garda recruitment panel currently in place consisting of applicants selected by the Public Appointments Service as part of a 2008 recruitment campaign. However, no offers of employment have been made to applicants since the introduction of the public service moratorium on recruitment in 2009.

The moratorium on recruitment remains in place in furtherance of the objective, set in the context of the agreement with the EU and the IMF, to reduce the numbers of public servants. While successful applicants on this panel currently remain eligible to be offered positions as trainee Gardaí, the lifetime of the panel, and the position of applicants on it, will be kept under review in the light of when Garda recruitment might recommence.

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