It has been reported that the controversial recruitment ban on the Garda is to be overturned next year. Justice Minister Alan Shatter said hiring to the force will start again after the plan was sanctioned by Public Spending Minister Brendan Howlin. "It is very important for an organisation like An Garda Siochana, given the demanding nature of policing, to receive a reasonably regular intake of new recruits," he said.
"I will now make arrangements with the Public Appointments Service so that they can do the necessary preparatory work to deal with what is expected to be a very large number of applications later this year." Advertisements for the new roles are to be placed in newspapers. Mr Shatter announced the end to the recruitment freeze - brought in under wider austerity measures and cutbacks in the public sector - during a graduation ceremony for reservists at the Garda College in Templemore.
The Justice Minister would not disclose how many full-timers will be taken on as part of the process. Earlier this year, he said he wanted to ensure numbers in the force did not dip below 13,000.
