Richard Bruton (Dublin North Central, Fine Gael)
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Question 454: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the numbers of new recruits in each of the past five years to the public service under the auspices of his Department; and age distribution of these new recruits. [20217/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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I understand that my colleague, the Minister for Finance, is answering in respect of the Civil Service. As the only public servants that are employed by my Department are the Garda Síochána, my reply refers to them only.

I have been informed by the Garda authorities, who are responsible for the detailed allocation of resources, including personnel, that the number of Garda recruits in each year from 2000 to 2005 was as set out in the table hereunder:

Regulation 5 of the Garda Síochána (Admissions and Appointments) Regulations 1988 (as amended) provides that, in order 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. Prior to 2004 applicants had to be at least 18 years and under 26 years of age. A detailed breakdown of the age distribution of recruits over the period referred to by the Deputy is not readily available.