The rate of recruitment to the Garda Reserve is so slow that Garda superintendents across the country have been asked to find suitable candidates in their areas with a view to speeding up the process, it has emerged.
Minister for Justice Michael McDowell has asked Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy to involve the local superintendents in order that the full 1,500 strength of the Garda Reserve is reached as soon as possible.
News of the involvement of local officers comes just two months after The Irish Times revealed recruitment was progressing so poorly it would take at least seven years for the 1,500 target to be reached. Only around 125 members will be attested at the time of the general election.
The work of the local superintendents in identifying candidates in their localities will be supported by Chief Supt Mary Fitzgerald and Supt Simon O'Connor who have both been appointed by Mr Conroy to develop the Reserve Force on a full-time basis. However, in reply to Dáil questions on progress to date, Mr McDowell has said given the voluntary nature of the force, it was unclear exactly how many trainees would be involved in future training programmes and exactly when the 1,500 target would be reached.
"Garda Reserve trainees have work, family and other commitments which they will have to balance with their service with An Garda Síochána," Mr McDowell said.
However, every effort would be made by the Garda authorities to be flexible in accommodating those wishing to join the force.
Because most applicants to the reserve force have full-time jobs, it is difficult to get a large group who are in a position to begin training at the same time in the Garda College, Templemore.
The first group of 36 reservists completed their training and were attested in December. These had been deployed to the inner city Dublin stations of Store Street and Pearse Street, as well as Anglesea Street in Cork, Galway city and Sligo town. The second group began training in the Garda College on January 20th. This group will be attested next month and will be deployed in Blanchardstown, Santry, Dún Laoghaire, Tallaght, Limerick, Clare, Sligo, Galway and Kerry.
Training for the third group, comprising 35 trainees, began on March 3rd and these are expected to be attested in June. Mr McDowell said from that point he expected classes to be taken in to Templemore on a monthly basis.
This should lead to a system of greatly accelerated recruitment to the part-time unpaid force.
Mr McDowell said new round of interviews had taken place in recent weeks with candidates having now been interviewed in every county in the Republic.