David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 495: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the education requirements to enter the Garda Síochána; the changes he intends to make in these requirements in order to allow foreign nationals to join the Garda; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34000/05]

David Stanton (Cork East, Fine Gael)
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Question 496: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of applicants for the Garda each year since 2000 who were refused entry into the Garda due to the fact that they did not meet the required standard in mathematics; the required standard of same; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [34001/05]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 495 and 496 together.

Entry to the Garda Síochána is governed by the Garda Síochána (Admissions and Appointments) Regulations 1988, as amended. The Deputy may be aware that prior to the current Garda Síochána recruitment competition which was launched in September 2005, I made a number of highly significant changes to the entry criteria with a view to removing barriers to entry from Ireland's growing multiethnic communities. Key among those changes is that the requirement to hold a qualification in both Irish and English in the leaving certificate or equivalent has been replaced by a requirement to hold a qualification in two languages, at least one of which must be Irish or English.

Consequently, the educational requirements to enter the Garda Síochána, as prescribed in the Garda Síochána (Admissions and Appointments) Regulations 1988 to 2005, are as follows. An applicant must have obtained, in the Irish established leaving certificate examination or Irish leaving certificate vocational programme a grade not lower than B3 at foundation level or D3 at another level in mathematics as well as a qualifying grade in two languages, one of which must be English or Irish. In Irish, a grade not lower than C3 at foundation level or D3 at another level must be obtained while in English or another language, a grade not lower than D3 at ordinary level must be obtained. In addition, a grade not lower than D3 at ordinary level, in not less than two other subjects or the merit grade in the applied leaving certificate or like grades in another examination, which, in my opinion, is not of a lower standard than the above must be obtained.

Applicants who hold international qualifications are advised to contact the National Qualifications Authority of Ireland to ascertain if the qualification or qualifications they hold can be recognised as being comparable to one of the above qualifications. They can be contacted at info@nqai.ie . The National Qualifications Authority of Ireland also has a fact sheet and anapplication form available on its websiteat http://www.nqai.ie/en/International/Recognition ofInternationalAwards/.

These new changes will open up entry to the Garda Síochána to persons in Ireland from all parts of the community and from all ethnic backgrounds. This is a major step towards ensuring that future intakes of recruits to the Garda Síochána will reflect the composition of modern Irish society, to the benefit of the force and the people it serves.

In respect of the number of applicants refused entry in the various Garda recruitment competitions since 2000 owing to the fact that they did not meet the required standard in mathematics, I should advise that the compilation of such statistics would be a matter for the Public Appointments Service, PAS, which is responsible for the administration of the initial stages of the Garda recruitment process.

Individual candidates' qualifications are checked by the PAS when they are invited to the interview stage of the recruitment process. In respect of the 2004 competition, the PAS has advised that of the 3,761 persons who passed the initial selection tests, the educational qualifications of approximately 3,576, the number called to interview to date, have since been checked and approximately 24 of these persons have been found ineligible on the basis that they did not meet the required standard in mathematics and, in some cases, in other educational criteria also. As regards the current competition, tests are ongoing at present and educational qualifications will be checked at the point when candidates are called for interview. With regard to the other Garda trainee recruitment competitions going back to 2000, the PAS advises that a breakdown of the type sought by the Deputy is not readily available and could only be obtained by the expenditure of a disproportionate amount of time and resources.

I might mention that the educational requirements for entry to the Garda Síochána are set out in the notes for candidates on the Public Appointments Service website, www.publicjobs.ie, and all prospective applicants are advised to ensure that they meet the eligibility requirements before applying. The criteria are also detailed on the Garda website, www.garda.ie.