Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 3 November 2004
90 Ms Burton asked the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of recruits who have graduated from the Garda training college as full Garda members since 6 June 2002; the number of gardaí who have retired, resigned or otherwise left the force since 6 June 2002; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [27235/04]
Amharc ar fhreagraThe commitment in An Agreed Programme for Government in regard to Garda numbers states, "We will complete the current expansion of the Garda Síochána and increase recruitment so that the numbers will increase by a further 2,000." When I took office as Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform in June 2002, the strength of the Garda Síochána stood at 11,748. After June 2002, and despite the cap on public service numbers announced in the 2002 budget, I proceeded with Government approval to increase the strength of the force to 12,200 by 2004 and I am pleased to say that we are on course to achieve that target on time. When an additional 190 gardaí are attested on 26 November, the force strength, already at a record high, will have reached or exceeded 12,200.
I am pleased to inform the House that the Government has approved my proposal to increase the strength of the Garda Síochána to 14,000 members on a phased basis, in line with the commitment in An Agreed Programme for Government. This is a key commitment in the programme for Government and its implementation will significantly strengthen the operational capacity of the force.
A new recruitment campaign will start shortly as an initial step in increasing the force strength to 14,000. The Garda Commissioner will place advertisements in the national newspapers within the coming weeks inviting applications to join the force and record numbers of recruits will be taken on. Each quarter, for the next three years, around 274 recruits will be taken into the college, amounting to almost 1,100 recruits each year. Taking into account projected retirements, it will lead to a combined organisational strength, of both attested gardaí and recruits in training, of 14,000 as early as 2006.
Garda trainees are attested to the force on successful completion of phase three of their training. On attestation, Garda trainees are serving members of the force. Formal graduation takes place following the completion of the fifth and final phase of training. Therefore, the serving strength of the force at any given time includes those who have been attested following completion of phase three of their training but have not yet formally graduated. I am informed by the Garda authorities that a total of 1,392 recruits have successfully completed phase three of their training and have been attested to the Garda Síochána since 6 June 2002 and that a total of 1,036 Garda members, all ranks, have resigned, retired or otherwise left the Garda Síochána since that date.
