Joe Costello (Dublin Central, Labour)
Link to this: Individually | In context

Question 676: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform when he proposes to hold another recruitment campaign for the Garda Síochána. [10739/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
Link to this: Individually | In context

I have been informed by the Garda authorities, which are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that while no date has yet been fixed for a new Garda recruitment competition, it is expected that a new recruitment competition will be held later this year.

Entry to the Garda Síochána is governed by An Garda Síochána (Admissions & Appointments) Regulations 1988, as amended. 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.

There were 8,462 applicants for the current Garda recruitment campaign, which was advertised on 29 September 2005. A total of 4,926 of these applicants sat the aptitude test and 2,872 passed. As part of the accelerated recruitment campaign to the Garda Síochána, interviews are ongoing to facilitate the induction of 1,100 recruits to the Garda Training College this year and again in 2007, by way of intakes to the Garda College of approximately 275 recruits every quarter.

The target strength of 14,000 members of the Garda Síochána is in line with the commitment in An Agreed Programme for Government. This commitment 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. This project is fully on target and will be achieved.