asked the Minister for Justice the number of members of the Garda force who are learning Russian.
Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Garda Russian Classes.
133.
At the moment there are six members attending classes in Russian on an official basis.
Am I to understand that the purpose for these courses is to facilitate these gardaí when they are on duty at the proposed Russian embassy?
No, the purpose, generally, is to broaden their general education.
Will it not be necessary to have gardaí with a knowledge of Russian to do duty at the proposed Russian embassy?
It would be a help to gardaí who are called upon to communicate with Russians to have a knowledge of that language but I imagine that all the people who will work in the Russian embassy here will be fluent in English.
English is not the second language of the Russians: German is their second language.