McDowell considers quota for immigrants in gardaí

TÁNAISTE and Justice Minister Michael McDowell said he may introduce quotas in the future to ensure that the Garda Síochána has sufficient members from different ethnic backgrounds.

Mr McDowell told the Irish Examiner that he was absolutely determined to increase minority representation in the gardaí.

He said it would be a “significant disaster” if a disenfranchised racial minority of second generation immigrants emerged in Ireland.

“All of these people from racial minorities should be able to look on occasion and see somebody from their own race wearing a garda uniform,” he said.

Mr McDowell was speaking during a seminar in Cork on international law enforcement cooperation, jointly hosted by Thomas Crosbie Holdings Ltd and the British Embassy.

With the preliminary figures from Census 2006 showing that some 400,000 people, or a tenth of the population, are non-Irish, the Tánaiste was asked what he intended to do to increase the representation of ethnic minorities in the force.

He said several major measures are already in train. He pointed to the ending of the obligation to speak Irish and the change in the age limit to 35, noting that many of the ‘new Irish’ are in their 20s and 30s.

He said that some 80 people born outside Ireland had already passed the exacting education standard required.

He said if more action was required, then it would be done.

“If necessary we will go down the road of quotas. But we are doing it on the basis of a level playing field at the moment,” he said.