Vol. 507 No. 3
175 Ms Cooper-Flynn asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the plans, if any, there are to remove the height restriction for recruitment for the Garda Síochána; the reason the height restrictions are in place; and the way in which they compare to other European countries. [16841/99]
The height requirements for entry to the Garda Síochána, which are historical, are prescribed by regulation and are currently under review.
While my Department does not have comprehensive data in this regard, I understand that a significant number of police forces in other European countries have no height requirements or lower height requirements than the Garda Síochána.
Until the above mentioned review is completed I am not in a position to say what changes, if any, will be made to. the relevant regulations. Any proposals I may have in this regard will be submitted for consideration by the Government in due course. However, I wish to emphasise that I am not seeking to justify requirements simply because they have been of long standing and were obviously accepted by my predecessors. It is reasonable to question these requirements in a balanced objective way and that is precisely why a review has been undertaken.
The height requirements will remain unchanged for the purposes of the new Garda recruitment competition I announced recently.
