McDowell to seek approval for additional 1,000 gardaí

Minister for Justice Michael McDowell is formulating a plan to bring to the Government seeking approval for the recruitment of an additional 1,000 full-time members to An Garda Síochána, it has emerged.

The new recruits would be in addition to the 2,000 members already being recruited to the force, which will bring its strength to 14,000, as was promised in the programme for Government.

The further increase in garda numbers to 15,000 was recommended in a proposal on the development of the force submitted to Mr McDowell by Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy last August. Mr Conroy also recommended that the strength of the Garda Reserve force, which originated with the Government, should be 4,000. He also recommended an increase in the Garda overtime budget.

Both of these proposals have been acted upon. The Garda Reserve is to be rolled out later this year, with 900 recruits to be in place by September followed by further recruitment. The overtime budget has risen by €22.4 million to €83.5 million, an increase of almost 37 per cent over the original allocation of €61.1 million in 2005.

In reply to a parliamentary questioned by Willie Penrose TD (Lab) Mr McDowell has now indicated that he is keen to pursue Mr Conroy's third recommendation and increase the force to 15,000.

"I am now giving careful consideration to the case for a continuation of the current intensive recruitment drive beyond the target of 14,000, and I will bring any proposals to Government," he said.

"I do not want to anticipate the decision of Government, but I can say that I recognise the strength of the case made by the Commissioner and that I attach considerable weight to his arguments."

In his proposal, Mr Conroy outlined the policing challenges facing the Garda in the medium and longer term.

These included the implications of demographic change, the need to continue to combat crime and terrorist threats, and the requirements for enhanced enforcement of road traffic law and immigration control.

Mr Conroy last month said the fight against drug dealing and organised armed crime now required so many resources that detection rates in someminor crime categories had fallen slightly of late.

The strength of the Garda will reach 14,000 by the end of the year, according to the Department of Justice. This includes both attested gardaí and recruits in training.

The plans to recruit these additional members came late in the Government's term because until the end of 2004, Mr McDowell was unable to secure the financial backing from Cabinet needed for the plan.

However, that recruitment drive is now under way. A major building programme has been undertaken at the Garda training college in Templemore, Co Tipperary, to provide additional accommodation for the unusually high number of recruits now based at the college.