The Garda Commissioner has indicated his confidence in reaching garda recruitment targets, saying he knows where the “bottlenecks” are and how to deal with them.
The programme for government sets out a target to fund the recruitment of at least 5,000 new gardai and additional Garda staff over the next five years.
Since September 2014, a total of 4,716 Garda members have attested and been deployed to Garda stations around Ireland.
Drew Harris said the force will have an intake of new Garda members in March, June and September this year, adding he wants to “maximise” the numbers.
A new garda recruitment campaign will be launched next month.
The force is struggling to reach the 15,000 target, with just over 14,000 gardai at all ranks across the force up until the end of November last year.
Mr Harris told the Policing Authority meeting that there will be four graduations this year.
“The numbers who will actually attest this year are nearly baked in, because the majority of those are already in training,” Mr Harris told the meeting on Thursday.
“So we know the numbers that have joined the last three intakes, plus then we have this final March intake, who will graduate in around November.
“So in effect, we will have four graduations this year.
“We want to maximise, obviously, the March intake, but then we want to be sure then that the subsequent June and September intakes are maximised and going forward then.
Garda Commissioner Drew Harris at the Garda College graduation ceremony.
“That’s why we’re launching this campaign in February, to make sure, in effect, that the pipeline of those who’ve applied and are interested in working through the process.
“From our side, it’s also required, is to make sure that the experience of the applicant is a positive one in terms of connection to the process, and also then the expedition with which they move through the process as well.
“We know where, in effect, the bottlenecks are, and then what has to be done then to deal with those.
“We are looking at a new physical test, and that’s to be signed off, physical assessment, and that’s to be signed off very shortly, and we will apply that immediately to this new campaign.”