Terence Flanagan (Dublin North East, Independent)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

385. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality his plans to employ additional gardaí; and if members of the Irish Army will be deployed to help gardaí with their duties. [44137/13]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

As has already been announced, a recruitment competition for An Garda Síochána is to commence shortly and it is expected that the first batch of new recruits will enter the Garda college in mid-2014. There are a number of procedural issues that need to be finalised prior to the formal commencement of that competition and these are expected to conclude in the coming weeks. A further announcement will be issued as soon as recruitment starts, both on the Public Appointments Service website and directly to those who have registered an expression of interest in joining the Garda Síochána.

Where necessary, the Garda Síochána are assisted in carrying out certain specific duties by members of the Defence Forces, in fulfilment of the role assigned to the Defence Forces to provide aid to the civil power. Outside of these areas of aid to the civil power, the distinction between the policing function of the Garda Síochána and the military function of the Defence Forces is an important one and I have no proposals for deployments along the lines referred to by the Deputy.