15,000 people applied to join Gardaí last week

MORE than 15,000 people applied to join the Gardaí last week despite a ban on recruitment to the force.

Warning that a failure to recruit additional members over the next five years would be “very detrimental”, Garda Commissioner, Fachtna Murphy, said large numbers of gardaí could be deployed to frontline policing if the Government lifted the embargo on recruiting civilian staff.

Mr Murphy told the Dáil Public Accounts Committee the number of civilian vacancies in the force was 270. “I believe a substantial number of additional gardaí could be freed for operational duties if these gaps could be filled.