Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 422: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the age limit for persons applying for entry into the Garda Síochána; when the next round of applications will be determined (details supplied); and if he will make a statement on the matter. [8080/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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Regulation 5 of the Garda Síochána (Admissions and Appointments) Regulations 1988 (as amended) provides that to qualify for admission as a trainee with the Garda Síochána, prospective applicants must, inter alia, be at least 18 years and under 35 years of age on the first day of the month in which the relevant competition was advertised.

In accordance with the regulations, to be eligible for selection as a trainee under the current competition, which was advertised in September 2005, an applicant must have been at least 18 and under 35 years on 1 September 2005. Recruitment to the Garda Síochána is by open competition conducted by the Public Appointments Service, formerly the Office of the Civil Service and Local Appointments Commissioners, in conjunction with the Garda Commissioner. Regarding the specific application referred to by the Deputy, the position is that I have no function in recruitment and selection of individual candidates for entry to the Garda Síochána. This is entirely a matter for the Public Appointments Service and the Garda Commissioner.

The timescale for achieving the target strength of 14,000 members of the Garda Síochána in line with the commitment in an Agreed Programme for Government remains as when I announced the Government approval in October 2004 for my proposals to achieve this objective. The phased increase in the strength of the Garda Síochána to 14,000 will lead to a combined strength, of both attested gardaí and recruits in training, of 14,000 by the end of this year. As part of the accelerated recruitment campaign to facilitate this process, 1,125 Garda recruits were inducted to the Garda College during 2005. The college will induct 1,100 recruits this year and a further 1,100 in 2007 by way of intakes to the Garda College of approximately 275 recruits every quarter. This project is fully on target and will be achieved. In this regard, I am informed by the Garda authorities that the first incremental increase of newly attested gardaí due to the programme of accelerated recruitment into the Garda Síochána will take place on 16 March 2006.