Shatter upbeat on topic of Garda recruits

AS the last group of students from Templemore Garda College graduated yesterday, Justice Minister Alan Shatter said he was hopeful a recruitment drive could start again within 18 months.

As part of an agreement with the EU and the IMF to cut of the public sector employees, the last government agreed to reduce Garda numbers to 13,000 by the end of 2014, having peaked at 14,500 at the end of 2010.

Addressing 126 garda graduates at the college, Mr Shatter said: “We have a financial envelope in which we have to operate.