Dáil Éireann Debate, Wednesday - 5 February 2025
843. Deputy Denise Mitchell asked the Minister for Justice how many Garda recruits who completed their training in 2023 and 2024 are still awaiting a start date; the average wait time between the completion of training and start date; the measures being taken to overcome delays in the recruitment process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3491/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra848. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Justice the reason for the long delays in the An Garda Síochána recruitment process and once qualified, the reason for delays in the induction process; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3598/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra849. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Justice the measures that are being taken to expedite the induction of qualified candidates to An Garda Síochána who have been waiting for an extended period; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3599/25]
Amharc ar fhreagra850. Deputy Barry Heneghan asked the Minister for Justice if there is any possibility of prioritising applicants for An Garda Síochána who have already completed their training and are simply awaiting a start date, as opposed to requiring them to reapply and face further delays; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [3600/25]
Amharc ar fhreagraI propose to take Questions Nos. 843 and 848 to 850, inclusive, together.
This Government will be resolute in its support of Gardaí. We want to build safe and secure communities, and a well-resourced An Garda Síochána is critical to achieving that. The Programme for Government commits to examining a range of further measures to enable An Garda Síochána recruit 5,000 members across the next five years and I have spoken already with the Commissioner about how this might be achieved.
As the Deputy will be aware, under section 26 of the Garda Síochána Act 2005 (as amended), the Garda Commissioner is responsible for the management and administration of Garda business, including the recruitment and training of Garda members and staff and that as Minister I have no role in these functions.
I am advised by the Garda authorities that the current average time from when a Garda Trainee applicant is successful at interview (at which point their name is passed to An Garda Síochána to commence the remaining stages of the selection process), to the stage of offer to commence training is 29 weeks. The stages of the selection process which are carried out by An Garda Síochána include Physical Competency Test, Substance Misuse Test, Medical, and Vetting. It is worth noting that all applicants’ circumstances can vary and the time taken to complete the An Garda Síochána-led selection elements can vary significantly from applicant to applicant.
The Foundation Training programme for Garda trainees is 104 weeks in duration and is carried out across three phases. Garda Trainees are attested as members of An Garda Síochána upon successful completion of Phase 1 which is 36 weeks in duration. Following attestation, Probationer Gardaí are allocated to Training Stations for Phase 2 and Phase 3 of the Foundation Training programme.
In relation to security clearance and vetting, An Garda Síochána is unique in that it is not only the national police service but also the State's security service. As members of An Garda Síochána may be required to fulfil both of these roles throughout their careers, more stringent criteria apply than those in place across the wider Civil and Public Services. I am assured that every effort is made to process security clearance and vetting for applicants to An Garda Síochána as expeditiously as possible, without compromising the integrity of the system.
A total of 631 trainees commenced training in the Garda College during 2024 across four intakes. This included 162 trainees who entered the College in December. I can further inform the Deputy that 599 Probationer Gardaí attested in 2024 and were assigned to operational duties in stations across the State.
