Bernard Durkan (Kildare North, Fine Gael)
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Question 175: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of applicants who have passed the Garda entrance exam; the number to date called for training; the number awaiting such a call; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22216/06]

Michael McDowell (Dublin South East, Progressive Democrats)
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The Public Appointments Service (PAS) is responsible for the administration of the application process as well as Stage 1 (aptitude testing) and Stage 2 (interview) of the Garda recruitment process.

I have been informed by the PAS that there was a total of 8,462 applications for the current Garda recruitment competition, 4,926 of whom sat the entrance exam. 2,872 (or 58.3%) of these applicants passed the exam. The PAS have further informed me that as at 6 June 2006, some 1,074 applicants had been called to interview, of which 657 (or 61.2%) had passed the interview.

I have been informed by the Garda authorities that 88 of these candidates, having gone on to pass Stage 3 (medical exam and physical competency test) of the current competition, have since been called for training under the most recent intake of student Gardaí in May 2006. It is not possible at this point to state how many candidates are awaiting a call to training, as the necessary processes under Stage 3 of the competition have not been completed for all candidates who have succeeded at Stage 2.