Tom Fleming (Kerry South, Independent)
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178. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of valid applications to the recent Garda recruitment; the number approved for further processing following the initial aptitude tests; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [10038/14]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that the Public Appointments Service are managing this recruitment process for the Garda Commissioner and I have no direct involvement in the matter. I have, however, been informed that some 25,000 applications were received in advance of the 9th January closing date for the current competition. The first stages of the testing have now been completed and candidates who have qualified through these have been placed in order of merit into three bands.

The top 5,000 candidates from these tests have been placed in Band 1. These are now being called to the next stages of the competition which will also be run by PAS in association with An Garda Síochana. Candidates who are ultimately successful through all stages will be placed on a panel for entry into training in the Garda College. A candidate who fails any stage of the process will be eliminated from the competition and will not be allowed re-enter.

It is not possible at this stage to state with any certainty how many trainees will progress from Band 1 to the Garda College as this will depend on the success rate of candidates at the next series of tests, assessments, interviews etc. Therefore, by definition, it is not possible to say when a candidate in Band 2 might be called to progress to the next stages of the competition.

My objective is to maintain Garda strength at 13,000 and the number of trainees to be recruited will be determined taking that objective into account along with the rate of departures from the force over the coming years. It is worth noting on this point that, generally speaking, between 300 and 400 Gardaí leave the force each year.