11,000 applications for Garda recruitment

Almost 11,000 people have applied for just 2,000 Garda posts, it emerged today.

The Public Appointments Service was inundated with applications from potential recruits before last weekís deadline.

Spokesman Martin Burke said between 10,500 and 11,000 applications were received in total.

ìOur objective is to make sure thereís a strong pool of Garda recruits. Hopefully it will result in a very strong Garda recruitment,î he said.

More than 90% of the applications were made online via the publicjobs.ie website. The expansion of the Garda force by an additional 2,000 members was announced last October by Justice Minister Michael McDowell. Under the Ä330m plan, around 1,100 recruits will be recruited next year, with a similar number in 2006 and 2006. This will allow the force to increase to 14,000 members, even as 1,350 senior garda go into retirement.

The Garda Representative Association said the deluge of applications ñ more than five for every job ñ was a positive sign for the force. Garda who qualify from the training college in Templemore, Co Tipperary will receive a salary of Ä22,520, rising in stages to Ä40,472.A Garda spokeswoman said the new age limit, which was raised from 26 to 35, had contributed to the volume of applications.

ìThere will be more people from a broader cross section of society. The more experience the better,î she said.

The 11,000 applicants will all sit aptitude tests in the New Year. The top 5% will be brought forward for interview, while all others who pass the exam will remain in the recruitment pool. The final stage is a medical test and a physical fitness exam. Around 400 of the recruits will be assigned to the new Garda Traffic Corps in an effort to cut the number of road deaths.