Garda reserve regulations to be revised in bid to boost recruitment

Helen McEntee seeking to increase numbers to 1,000 over the next two years

The revised regulations will allow An Garda Síochána to provide better support and supervision for reserve members and also make the provision of training more efficient. Picture: Denis Minihane

The system for recruiting and training Garda reserves is to be changed in a bid to bring the numbers up to 1,000 over the next two years.

Justice Minister Helen McEntee will ask Cabinet to approve new Garda reserve regulations, to allow her to begin building up the numbers, starting in the coming months with the rollout of a recruitment campaign.

Garda reserves carry out duties that include ensuring public safety during State visits, assisting with crowd control and public order, and working alongside Garda road traffic units.

The current regulations have been in place since 2006 and need to be updated to reflect, not just contemporary policing practice, but also to allow for such basics as the current Leaving Cert marking system, which has changed since the rules were first drawn up.

The revised regulations will allow An Garda Síochána to provide better support and supervision for reserve members and also make the provision of training more efficient.

The changes will also allow those who want to work more than the standard 208 hours each year to do so.

Reserves attending court will be considered to be on active duty as part of the measures.

Prison programmes 

Meanwhile, Higher Education Minister Simon Harris will bring a memo to outline the introduction of a new training programme that prisoners convicted of minor crimes will undertake ahead of release.

Retrofitting programmes are to be rolled out in two prisons next month and will aim to stop the cycle of reoffending among members of the prison population.

Prisoners in Midlands and Wheatfield prisons will undergo training in this area where 17,000 additional workers are needed over the coming years.

Mr Harris will also update colleagues on plans to introduce apprenticeship programmes in prison, starting with culinary skills and painting and decorating.

The minister will say there are far too many people who leave prison and end up back behind bars. There are many reasons for this but a lack of employment opportunities is a critical factor.

The programme is aimed at prisoners who are close to release and will equip them with the training and skills they need to pay their own way and become active participants in the jobs market.

Shared Island funding

The Government is also due to make an announcement around funding for Shared Island investment priorities after Cabinet, which is expected to include road and infrastructure projects.

Separately, Housing Minister Darragh O'Brien will provide updates on the accelerated delivery programme for social housing and the void programme.

Since 2020, the Government has spent over €163m to return 10,820 homes to active use.

Finance Minister Michael McGrath will bring the national debt plan to Cabinet.