Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 358: To ask the Minister for Justice and Law Reform his plans to change the upper age limit of 35 years for recruitment to An Garda Síochána. [31012/10]

Michael Ring (Mayo, Fine Gael)
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Question 359: To ask the Minister for Justice and Law Reform if there is an exemption of the upper age limit of 35 years to the recruitment to An Garda Síochána, in particular with reference to the lateral transfer of United Kingdom police to the Irish force; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [31013/10]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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I propose to take Questions Nos. 358 and 359 together.

The maximum recruitment age to join An Garda Síochána is set in the Garda Síochána (Admission & Appointments) Regulations 1988 as amended and I have no plans to change this age.

Under these regulations, admission and appointment to the Garda Síochána to the rank of Garda is open to all citizens of the EEA. The Intergovernmental Agreement on Police Co-operation between Ireland and the UK provides for members from the Garda Síochána and the PSNI to apply for posts in the other Force at ranks above Inspector. Giving effect to this provision will require changes to the current Garda regulations and my Department is in ongoing discussions on this with the Garda Commissioner, the Garda representative associations and the relevant authorities in Northern Ireland. Under this Agreement, personnel exchanges between the Garda Síochána and the PSNI are already in place, and a Garda Superintendent was recently seconded to the PSNI.