Irish language not needed in major Garda recruitment drive

The Minister for Justice has urged anyone who wants to join An Garda Síochána to apply for a position in the policing service as she opens a new recruitment campaign which envisages the hiring of some 1,200 guards and support staf.

Launching the campaign Minister Helen McEntee said that the Government is increasing the number of Gardaí on the streets. A statement from her department said Budget 2022 has provided for the recruitment of up to 800 Gardaí and 400 Garda staff this year and many of those recruited will be drawn from this competition.

The competition is the first held since new Regulations were introduced, amending the Garda Síochána (Admissions and Appointments) Regulations 2013, to allow for a broader appeal for service with the force to reflect the increasing diversity of Irish Society.

In addition to technical amendments required to reflect changes in legislation from the Refugee Act 1996 to the International Protections Act 2015, the requirement for applicants to be proficient in two languages, one of which must be English or Irish, has also been changed. Under the amended regulations, proficiency is now only required in one language – which can be English or Irish.

A statement said Garda Síochána remains committed to the Irish language and studies in the Irish language will remain part of the Policing BA delivered to all trainee Gardaí in the Garda College, Templemore.

It added that a new Irish Language Strategy has been developed by and will be launched early this year. The Strategy aims to strengthen Irish language services within the force and ensure compliance with statutory language obligations.

Successful applicants will be placed on a panel from which they are drawn by the Gardaí for training when required by the Garda Commissioner. The last recruitment competition was held in early 2019.

The Department of Justice says the Gardaí, supported by the Government, will be reaching out to all of Irish society – English and Irish speakers; women and men; migrant, Traveller and LGBTI+ people – encouraging them to think about a career in the Gardaí.

A new intern programme recently saw 26 school leavers and graduates provided with the opportunity to begin a year-long paid internship as Garda staff. 

Full details on how to apply can be found on Publicjobs.ie

Minister McEnteeo urged members of new Irish communities, women and people from minority groups to consider a career in the guards.

“This recruitment campaign is of particular significance as we this year celebrate 100 years of An Garda Síochána. There has never been a better time to join the Gardaí as we work towards a policing service for the future that is valued for the essential public service it provides.

“A cornerstone of the vital work of An Garda Síochána is its engagement with communities and my hope is that we can have a policing service that is as diverse as the communities it serves.

“I urge anyone who wants to join An Garda Síochána to apply, but I want to particularly encourage women to consider a career with the Gardaí. Significant efforts have been made to increase the proportion of women in the service, and we are ahead of many other countries, but we still have a long way to go.

“Equally, I want to encourage people from our new Irish communities and minority groups to consider applying for what is a worthwhile and valued career.

“I welcome the fact that the Garda Commissioner, Drew Harris, is focused on creating a policing service which values equality, diversity and inclusion because it is so important that every person in the country feels that they are reflected in the Garda members they see on the street or in their local station.

“Of course, we want a policing service that is diverse not only in gender and ethnicity, but also in socio-economic and geographical background. I would encourage all those with an interest in joining to visit publicjobs.ie and to consider applying.”

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Her Department said the Garda Commissioner has put a welcome focus on equality, diversity and inclusion. This has included changes to Garda uniform policy, the establishment of the Garda National Diversity Forum, and representation from diverse and minority communities in the Garda Reserve. An Garda Síochána are working to produce a combined internal and external Equality, Diversity and Integration Strategy in early 2022.