asked the Minister for Justice if he will state whether any test in the Irish Language was applied to men recruited into the Gárda Síochána on and from 1st August, 1933; the standard applied in any such test; and the number of recruits who passed the test.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Recruiting of Gárdaí.
The answer to the first part of this question is in the affirmative. The test was similar to that which has always been applied to candidates, namely, simple translation and conversation. There is no question of passing a test. It is applied simply to determine the relative knowledge of the various candidates. A knowledge of Irish is not an essential qualification for admission to the Gárda, but the degree of knowledge possessed by the candidate is a factor to which weight is given in selecting suitable recruits.
asked the Minister for Justice if he will state the total number of recruits taken into the Gárda Síochána on and from the 1st August, 1933: the number of such recruits who were 27 years of age or over at the time of recruiting; the number of them who were married, and the number of married recruits to whom a rent allowance has been made payable.
250 recruits have been admitted to the Gárda Síochána since the 1st August last. Of these 173 were over 27 years of age and 74 were married. Rent allowance has already been granted to 14 of these men and applications from others are under consideration.
asked the Minister for Justice if he will state the total amount of pay, emoluments and allowances payable to a recruit of the Gárda Síochána; the minimum and the maximum total of such pay, emoluments and allowances actually payable in any case to any person recruited to the Gárda Síochána since the 1st August, 1933; and the average total of such pay, emoluments and allowances payable in the case of recruits to the Gárda Síochána since the 1st August, 1933.
The pay of all members of the Gárda Síochána is in accordance with the provisions of the Gárda Síochána Pay Order, 1927, and the allowances payable to members of that force are governed by the provisions of the Gárda Síochána Allowances Orders 1926 and 1929. The Deputy will find detailed information in these Statutory Orders.