This is an historic time for the Garda Síochána. This Government started its second term in June 2002 with a firm commitment to increase the strength of the force to 14,000. The Government recently approved my proposal to achieve the increase, involving an intake of almost 1,100 recruits per annum over the next three years. The logistics of such a major recruitment and training campaign are formidable, but the challenges can and will be overcome with the commitment of Garda management and staff and with my full support.
The Government's decision to increase Garda numbers to 14,000 will lead to additional accommodation requirements at the Garda College in Templemore. A number of key developments will take place to facilitate the recruitment drive. The Garda Commissioner will temporarily move most in-service training from the college to a new location, thereby enabling the college to concentrate mainly on training new recruits. The Office of Public Works advertised in the national press on 22 October last for expressions of interest in the provision of new accommodation. It is envisaged that the outsourced facility will provide accommodation for up to 100 gardaí with classroom, lecture and other necessary facilities. It is envisaged that the facility will be completed in time for the increased intake in February 2006.
The capacity of the college will be substantially increased next year to provide for central administration accommodation, a new library and gym facilities and to free up existing space for classroom use. Work will be undertaken to relocate the tactical training facility, which will be displaced by the new facility. The Garda Commissioner proposes to rebalance phase 3 of Garda training. The last four weeks of phase 3, which involves spending 16 weeks in the college, will now be spent in Garda stations.
The recruitment campaign will start shortly. The Garda Commissioner will place advertisements in the national newspapers in the coming weeks inviting applications to join the force and record numbers of recruits will be taken on. Approximately 274 recruits will be taken into the college in each quarter, over the next three years, amounting to almost 1,100 recruits each year. If one takes projected retirements into account, the Garda will have a combined organisational strength of attested gardaí and recruits in training, of 14,000 as early as 2006.
Additional information
I intend to bring the Commissioner's proposal to increase the maximum age of entry from 26 to 35 to the Government for its approval. This significant change will extend to many more people the opportunity of a career in the Garda and will increase the pool of talent available to the force. After I have engaged in the necessary consultations with the Garda representative associations, I intend to ensure that the new maximum age will apply to the next Garda recruitment competition to be advertised in the coming weeks, subject to the approval of the Government. I am confident the ambitious targets will be met with the support of all involved, without any diminution of the highest standards of training maintained by the college down the years. The necessary resources for the Garda budget are being addressed in the context of the 2005 Estimates process, which will apply to succeeding years and also applies to the largely one-off OPW capital costs. It is projected that the funding required in the Garda budget will initially be relatively small — approximately €11 million in 2005 — but it will rise progressively to €124 million by 2009.
It is projected that 451 gardaí will leave the force in 2005, 440 will leave in 2006, 514 will leave in 2007 and 627 will leave in 2008. The record recruitment drive which is about to commence will place a significant increase in Garda resources at the disposal of the Commissioner, who will draw up plans on how best to distribute and manage the resources. The additional resources will be targeted at areas of greatest need, as envisaged in the programme for Government, which specifies areas with a significant drugs problem and a large number of public order offences. It will also be possible to address other priorities, such as the need to increase significantly the number of gardaí allocated to traffic duties. I have already promised that the additional gardaí will not be put on administrative duties. They will be put directly into front line operational, high-visibility policing and will have a real impact.
