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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Wednesday, 30 May 1962

Vol. 195 No. 13

Ceisteanna—Questions. Oral Answers. - Garda Síochána Promotions.

70.

andMr. McQuillan asked the Minister for Justice why the Garda Síochána (Promotion) Regulations, S.I. No. 203 of 1960, in Section 10 subsection (2) permit the waiving in certain cases of the regulations in regard to (a) the Irish fluency test and (b) the need to pass class 1 promotion examinations, in reference only to members of the detective branch.

The Regulations for the promotion to Inspector rank of members of Sergeant rank in the Detective Branch who have not passed or are not exempted from prescribed promotion examinations have been in force since 1943. They provide for the promotion of such members who have given consistently meritorious service in the Branch, have shown special zeal and ability in the performance of their duties and who, after interview by a Board comprised of officers not below the rank of Chief Superintendent, have been recommended by the Board as suitable for appointment to Inspector rank.

The purpose of the Regulations is to ensure that in this most important branch of police work appointments to supervisory posts will be made from the best material available and that normal qualifying requirements for promotion will not operate to restrict the field of selection. There are similar regulations governing special promotion to Sergeant rank.

Assignment to duties in the Detective Branch entails long and irregular hours and for that reason it is not always possible for members of the Branch to devote the necessary time to studies to prepare themselves for these examinations.

In view of the fact that meritorious service can be rendered by members of the Garda Síochána who are not in the Detective Branch, does the Minister not consider, in the light of the necessity for co-operation in the Garda Síochána, between the Detective Branch and other members of the staff, it unwise to give special preference with regard to promotion to the Detective Branch over and above men who are in touch with the actual situation in this city and every other city in the country?

I want, first of all, to point out that the promotion I am referring to is promotion within the Detective Branch. That is a consideration. Secondly, there are very special circumstances prevailing in the Detective Branch, and in detective work generally, which would render it difficult, and extremely difficult in certain circumstances, for men to pass the qualifying examination to which the Deputy referred in his question. I am not aware that there is any opinion in the Garda Síochána, in the ranks or otherwise, against this particular provision with regard to the Detective Force. If there is any such thing, I have no doubt it will be a matter which the new Representative Body could suitably raise.

In other words, it could be a matter that the Representative Body would be in a position to raise for further discussions?

I would regard it as an entirely appropriate matter for that body to raise.

Would the Minister not agree that while this question of fluency in Irish and a fairly high standard of education might have been valid at one time, it could not longer be valid because recruitment to the Garda Síochána and the Detective Branch is of a very much higher standard now than in the past when fluency in Irish was necessary?

Of course, in the context of this question, fluency is one of the tests in the general examination test to which the question mainly refers. It is true to say that at present most recruits passing out from the Depot take their Irish qualifying test at the time they pass out from the Depot.

God help the man who does not take it.

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