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Dáil Éireann díospóireacht -
Tuesday, 15 Apr 1997

Vol. 477 No. 5

Written Answers. - Garda Recruitment.

Michael Bell

Ceist:

244 Mr. Bell asked the Minister for Justice the plans, if any, she has to recruit Garda Síochána for 1997; if so, when recruitment will commence; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9591/97]

Seán Haughey

Ceist:

251 Mr. Haughey asked the Minister for Justice if it is intended to recruit new Garda in the near future; if so, if she will give details in this regard together with the procedures of recruitment involved; if a height requirement will be specified which will apply to all applicants; if so, her views on whether the provision of such a requirement is discriminatory; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [9788/97]

I propose to take Questions Nos. 244 and 251 together.

The current recruitment competition covers the period of 31 December 1997. A total of 600 trainees are scheduled to be admitted to the garda college in four quarterly intakes this year and these are all being recruited from the current competition.

The Government recently approved the holding of a new garda recruitment competition in 1997 to cover the three year period 1998 to 2000, inclusive. It is expected that this competition, which will be conducted by the Civil Service Commission, will be advertised in the near future.

Recruitment to An Garda Síochána is governed by the Garda Síochána (Admissions and Appointments) Regulations, 1988. These regulations lay down the criteria for admission to the Force and have been applied to all garda recruitment competitions since 1988. The minimum height requirements prescribed in the regulations are five feet nine inches and five feet five inches for men and women, respectively.

Section 17B of the Employment Equality Act, 1977 (as inserted by the European Communities (Employment Equality) Regulations, 1985) permits the application of different height requirements for men and women for the purposes of garda recruitment. The Employment Equality Bill also makes provision for the application of differing height criteria for men and women for this purpose but further provides that the criteria chosen must be such that the proportion of women in the State likely to meet the criterion for women is approximately the same as the proportion of men likely to meet the criterion for men.
I do not regard the use of minimum height requirements as being discriminatory. They arise from the particular nature of the employment and the height differential between the sexes is not contrary to equality legislation.
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