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Training began this morning for 99 new members of the Garda Reserve - who hail from seven different countries around the world.

The new Garda Reserve recruits began the first phase of their training at the Garda College, Templemore, Co Tipperary.

The trainees hail from seven different countries including Romania, Lithuania, Georgia, Germany, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.

There is also a good representation of both men and women in the new group, with 61 men and 38 women beginning their training.

More than 75% of the trainees are under the age of 40.

(Image: Garda Facebook)

Members of the Garda Reserve are volunteers from the local community who can be called upon to assist the force when extra personnel is needed.

Their training programme was launched today by Assistant Commissioner Orla McPartlin.

A senior source told the Irish Mirror that having garda reserve members from diverse backgrounds will benefit both the force and local communities.

The source said Ireland is now a multiethnic country, and having reserve members that are from the same countries and speak the same language as many other immigrants living here will benefit everyone.

The vast majority of the new recruits have expressed an interest in joining the force full time, according to the senior source.

Earlier this year, An Garda Siochana announced that the force will be taking on 600 new gardai, the first major intake since the recession.

The force will also take on 600 civilian staff this year, in the hope that officers can then be redeployed to frontline policing duties.

On 8 March, International Women’s Day this year, 200 new garda graduates joined the force, including 46 women.

The number of female guards has steadily increased in the last decade, with the percentage of women in the force rising from 18.5% in 2006 to just under 27% this year.

In 1959, when women were first allowed to join An Garda Siochana, just 12 out of the 400 recruits were women.

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