Garda Reserve misses recruitment target

The Garda Reserve has recruited less than 20% of its target numbers.

According to the Department of Justice, 1,400 reserve posts were planned to bolster the Gardaí.

However, there are currently only 264 members, with another 54 in training.

The first reservists were hired in August 2006.

The majority of those that have qualified since then have been deployed in Dublin, with others in Cork, Galway, Limerick and Sligo.

There are also some lone reservists posted in stations in Donegal, Kerry and Tipperary.