Jack Wall (Kildare South, Labour)
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Question 289: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of persons from County Kildare that have joined the Garda Reserve; the number of persons from County Kildare who applied to join; the location of the Garda stations throughout the county that have Garda Reserve members working in them; his plans to increase the number of Garda Reserve members working in County Kildare; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [22930/07]

Brian Lenihan Jnr (Dublin West, Fianna Fail)
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Recruitment for the Garda Reserve is being carried out by the Public Appointments Service (PAS) and, since August 2006, 475 people from Kildare have expressed an interest to the PAS in becoming Garda Reserve members.

All of those people from Kildare who expressed an interest in joining were subsequently contacted by the PAS and many have not, to date, come forward for interview. As the nature of the Reserve is that participation is purely voluntary, Garda Reserve members have work, family and other commitments which they have to balance with their service in An Garda Síochána.

An Garda Síochána and the PAS is offering maximum flexibility in order to accommodate those who wish to put themselves forward for service. Recruitment is ongoing and new applications are accepted at any time. It is open to those who have initially shown interest in becoming Garda Reserve members to renew that interest now, or at any stage in the future, and An Garda Síochána and the PAS will continue to facilitate those who are interested. I have been informed that the PAS intend contacting people from Kildare again in the near future in order to arrange interviews for them in the coming months.

There are currently five members of the Garda Reserve on Phase IV training who are due to qualify in November, 2007 and will be allocated to Carlow / Kildare Division — two to Naas and Blessington and one to Newbridge.

A further two members of the Garda Reserve are on Phase II training and are due to qualify in December, 2007 and will also be allocated to Carlow / Kildare Division.