Cormac Devlin (Dún Laoghaire, Fianna Fail)
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1404. To ask the Tánaiste and Minister for Justice and Equality the number of candidates that were on the An Garda Síochána recruitment panel at 31 January 2021 subject to Covid-19 public health regulations; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [18790/21]

Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael)
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The Deputy will be aware that the Garda Commissioner is responsible, by law, for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, including recruitment and human resources matters, and I, as Minister, have no direct role in the matter.

As the Deputy will appreciate, recruitment to An Garda Síochána is governed by the Garda Síochána (Admissions and Appointments) Regulations 2013. The Public Appointments Service (PAS) manages the initial recruitment stages for selection of Garda Trainees. The final stages of the recruitment process in which candidates are vetted, complete a physical competency test and a medical examination, are managed by the Commissioner.

I am advised by the Garda authorities that there are currently 782 Garda Trainee applicants on the recruitment panel to enter the Garda College. At this time, I am informed that An Garda Síochána will be in a position to take in 450 new Trainees over the course of 2021, however these plans will be kept under review in light of the situation which may be in place with regard to COVID-19 restrictions. The remainder of the panel will be considered for any vacancies that will arise in 2022.

I am informed that the schedule for these currently anticipated intakes is as follows: