RECRUITMENT TO AN Garda Siochána is set to recommence after being suspended for several years as part of the public sector hiring freeze.

Minister for Justice Alan Shatter made the announcement today as he addressed a graduation ceremony for Garda Reserve members.

Shatter said that he had received sanction from Minister for Public Expenditure and Reform Brendan Howlin to begin the recruitment process.

“It is very important for an organisation like An Garda Siochána, given the demanding nature of policing, to receive a reasonably regular intake of new recruits,” said Shatter.

He said that some preparatory work will have to be done before the recruitment process begins, but said he expects to see “a very large number of applications” when the process starts later this year.

The Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan said in May that he wanted to see recruitment begin again soon as the number of gardaí dipped below 13,000. One hundred garda station will have been closed down by the end of this year as part of a major cost-cutting exercise by the Department of Justice.