Letters to the Editor: Raising the garda recruitment age is an act of desperation 

One reader questions the attractiveness to older recruits of a belated career in An Garda Síochána, while others write about aspects of the Israel-Palestine conflict

Eva Mahedy, Westmeath, Stephen O'Donnell, Kildare, Emer Sheehan, Tipperary, David Darker, Kildare, Aideen Gavin, Galway, Chris Stynes, Laois, Luara Funney, Mayo, and Philip Curran, Waterford, among the new gardaí at their passing out parade in Templemore on Friday. Picture: Brendan Gleeson

Justice Minister Helen McEntee’s proposal to increase the age level to 50 and reduce fitness standards to join An Garda Síochána is an act of sheer desperation.

No one in their right minds would want to join a police force at 50 years of age, when most gardaí are retiring, unless they are desperate for excitement or for something to do, putting themselves in harm’s way or dealing with ever increasing bureaucratic oversight or incessant investigations by Gsoc or other internal Garda units.