Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I heard the Minister's announcement yesterday and I think more recruitment needs to be done over and above the 250 announced. I raised this with the Garda Commissioner last week when she attended the meeting of the Joint Committee on Justice, Defence and Equality. If the Garda Commissioner must roll out a multi-annual policing plan, she must be allowed to engage in multi-annual planning. Unfortunately, manpower is the biggest resource she needs. When I attend public meetings about crime around Dublin and throughout the country, the biggest issue raised is Garda response times because of the availability of gardaí to respond to calls. Some 1,498 members are eligible to retire today, which is a staggering figure. They will not all retire within the one year or month but it is significant. The Minister must have another conversation about recruitment with the Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform, Deputy Brendan Howlin.

I raised the matter of the Garda reserve before and, lo and behold, I got two calls from people last week who were called for interview. There seems to be something happening in examining the people who applied to be members of the Garda reserve. How many will be taken on as a result of the interview process the Public Appointments Service is undertaking?

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