Fionntán Ó Súilleabháin (Wicklow-Wexford, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I, too, would like to be associated with the remarks about Garda Kevin Flatley.

Having been a member of the joint policing committee for Wicklow–Wexford for many years, I have met Mr. Harris before and am acutely aware of the crisis with recruitment and retention. With regard to retention, I am thinking about the case of a person I know locally who is aged 19 or 20, is very athletic, has dreamed about becoming a garda all his life, went through all-Irish education and is of impeccable character. His father contacted me recently to state that even though his son had applied to join last year, he did not receive any reply. I wonder why. Subsequently, since he has heard nothing in the past year, he has been planning to emigrate to Canada. Why would something like that happen? It would be a terrible tragedy to lose people. With so many youths emigrating in droves, I realise there is obviously a huge challenge.

Over the past week, there was some confusion regarding recruitment in IPAS centres. That there had been such recruitment was previously dismissed but subsequently the Garda press officer clarified that there had been recruitment in IPAS centres or that those residing in the centres could become gardaí. I am not casting any aspersions whatsoever because I have been in the centres and have met many people of impeccable character in them. However, I note there are many countries with very strict criteria dictating who can become a member of a police force. In Ireland, you have to be an EU or EEA citizen. Am I correct that stamp 4 is probably not allowed? Could Mr. Harris clarify this? I believe it was clarified that there had been recruitment sessions in a number of IPAS centres. There was one in Wicklow in my constituency and one in Castlebar, and possibly a few others. Someone I know who works in Rathmines has said the same of the centre there. Since there is so much confusion online, can it be clarified whether those residing in IPAS centres can become members of the Garda?