No new recruits but garda college 'won't be mothballed'
Native Romanian garda Ofelia Hough is applauded by her colleagues after being awarded the Gary Sheehan Memorial Medal for best all-round student at Templemore yesterday
GARDA Commissioner Fachtna Murphy denied yesterday that the garda college in Templemore will be "mothballed" as a result of the imminent ban on recruitment.
The college will still be used for updating the training given to serving gardai, according to the garda chief, who said that the facility will "go on" while the embargo is in force.
Among the uses foreseen by Mr Murphy for Templemore is the training of gardai in the use of pepper spray -- due to be deployed over the next few months.
"I will take advantage of the lesser numbers in mainstream training here to train in other areas," he said at yesterday's garda graduation ceremony.
On the issue of promotion within the force, reported to be subject to approval by Finance Minister Brian Lenihan, the commissioner said he was addressing it with the Government.
Serious
"We are in a very serious economic downturn and I, as the head of this organisation, no more than the heads of other public bodies and departments around the country, have to take a responsible attitude to this," he said.
"However, it will be important for me to get certain key positions and I will be working with my minister, that's the minister for justice, in seeking the approval of Government to do that."
Meanwhile, Justice Minister Dermot Ahern said the ban on garda recruitment will be reviewed next year.
Mr Ahern said yesterday that the garda college will continue to play a role, even when student numbers are reduced.
"There will be a continuing need for it, particularly in relation to the ongoing training that's required, which is always necessary to ensure our gardai have the latest teaching and training available to them," he said.
Denying that the recruitment ban will lead to a "free run" for criminals, he pointed out that by the end of this year, garda numbers will be close to 15,000 -- up from 12,000 a few years ago.
Meanwhile, 2,100 civilians are carrying out office work which until recently had to be done by gardai themselves.
Trainees
While the programme of taking-in about 100 students every quarter will now be "curtailed", according to the minister, existing trainees will still be passing out until late next year.
"We won't have a ban on recruitment forever. Next year we will be looking at it again, in the light of making sure we keep the numbers up as high as possible, given that it was this Government and our predecessors that raised the numbers to a record high."
The next intake of recruits in May is expected to be the last for some time because of the recruitment embargo.
Yesterday's ceremony saw 185 men and 78 women graduating from the college, including a number of non-nationals.
The Gary Sheehan Memorial Medal for the best all-round student went to Gda Ofelia Hough, a native of Romania who came to Ireland 11 years ago as an au pair. She will be stationed at Henry Street Garda Station in Limerick.
The commissioner's medal for highest marks in academic subjects went to Gda Kirsten Somers from Churchtown in Dublin, who will be stationed in Blanchardstown, while the Templemore Town Council medal for social science studies was presented to Gda Scott Kahler -- originally from New York but stationed in Mullingar.
- Conor Kane
