Govt to press ahead with recruitment for garda reserve

The Department of Justice has said it will be pressing ahead with its plans to begin recruitment for the proposed new garda reserve next month.

The recruitment process will take place despite on-going opposition to the part-time reserve from the two main organisations representing rank-and-file gardaí.

The Garda Representative Association and the Association of Garda Sergeants and Inspectors are both refusing to cooperate with the reservists.

They believe the part-timers will be poorly trained and will hamper the work of full-time gardaí.

They want the Government to instead honour its promise to hire extra gardaí and to provide them with the resources they need to do their job.