4,000 apply to sign up to garda reserve

THE numbers applying to join the garda reserve were heading towards 4,000 last night, a spokesman for the Department of Justice said.

The department has been receiving between 125-150 applications a day since it started the recruitment process online and through a dedicated phone line on August 14.

“In the first two days, we received nearly 300 applications,” the spokesman said last night. “The number was at 3,800 this afternoon, so it is probably close to 4,000 by now. The response indicates a strong willingness among the public to be a part of the reserve.”

More than 2,200 applications have been made on the dedicated phone line, while the remaining candidates have applied online.

The spokesman said they were originally looking for 900 garda reserves.

He said the first priority will be to have the people selected by the end of September and then to begin training after that.

Reservists are to receive 120 hours of initial training, including 40 hours of practical experience on patrol and in a garda station.

The spokesman could not say when the first officers will hit the street.

The recruitment of a garda reserve has met with opposition among the two main staff bodies — the Garda Representative Association (GRA) and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors (AGSI).

The associations have tried to raise the principle of the reserve at the Garda Conciliation Council.