Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)

The Garda Reserve is a tremendous resource. I have had the privilege and pleasure of meeting and talking to some members of the Garda Reserve in the past 15 months as Minister. They are enormously enthusiastic and have an extraordinary sense of public service. I very much welcome the fact the Commissioner is looking at new and additional roles for the Garda Reserve to play. He has identified appropriate roles. I hear what the Deputy is saying. I would see the areas in which the Garda Reserve can properly engage continuing to expand in the coming years but it is of vital importance that appropriate training is provided before they engage in new duties. It is a welcome development.

The Deputy and other Members of the House might be interested to know that there are currently 60 non-Irish nationals in the Garda Reserve, including attested members and those in training. The members come from the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belarus Cameroon, China, the Czech Republic, India, Italy, Japan, Lithuania, Moldova, Morocco, Nigeria, Pakistan, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovakia, Ukraine and Zimbabwe. I am particularly pleased that non-Irish nationals are participating in the Garda Reserve. I believe that they can play a significant role, as the Deputy mentioned, in developing links between the Garda and the non-national communities. It is important that the Garda Reserve, the Garda Síochána and the Defence Forces reflect the changing face of this country and that smaller communities who are settled in this country are properly represented. I look forward to a time when we will be financially in a more sound space and able again to commence recruitment to the Garda. I hope we will find that there will be representatives of minority communities who are settled in this country who are so recruited. In the intervening period it is a welcome development that we have this multinational engagement in the Garda Reserve and I look forward to it being further extended as the number in the Garda Reserve continues to increase.

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