Jim O'Callaghan
Question:
611. Deputy Jim O'Callaghan asked the Minister for Justice the number of competitions that were held for Garda members to apply to join the Garda armed support units during 2021 and to date in 2022; if a fresh competition for members to apply to join will be held before end of quarter 1 2022; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [8245/22]
View answer
I have requested the information sought by the Deputy from An Garda Síochána, but I have not received this information in time. I will write to the Deputy as soon as the information is to hand.
The following deferred reply was received under Standing Order 51
As you will recall, I had sought the information you requested from the Garda authorities and undertook to contact you again once the information was to hand. I have received a report from the Garda authorities and the information requested is outlined below.
In accordance with the Garda Síochána Act 2005 as amended, the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of An Garda Síochána, which includes the recruitment and training of Garda members and staff. Further, the allocation of Garda resources is made in light of identified operational demands, including deployment of personnel among the Garda Divisions. As Minister, I have no direct role in the matter.
I have been advised by the Garda authorities that there is currently one internal, national, competition for the filling of vacancies within the Garda Armed Support Units ongoing. This national competition opened in 2019 and the competition process to fill vacancies in the Garda Armed Support Units is currently ongoing. There are a number of phases to the competition for the Garda Armed Support Units, all of which must be successfully completed. The different Regional centres are at varying points in the process, and in some areas vacancies have begun to be filled. I am further informed that all current live competitions to fill vacancies are extended to the end June 2022, paying cognisance to the resourcing implications of COVID-19 pandemic.
