THE DEADLINE FOR applications has been extended in An Garda Síochána’s latest recruitment campaign.

The original deadline for applications was 3pm today but this has been extended to midday tomorrow due to “technical difficulties”.

The campaign was launched by Justice Minister Charlie Flanagan last month.

In a statement about the campaign, a spokesperson for An Garda Síochána said the organisation “serves all of the community and would encourage everyone, and in particular, women, and those from diverse groups, to consider a career in policing”.

“We recognise the importance of recruiting people from a wide cross-section of the community so that we are representative of the increasingly diverse society we serve.”

There are six videos about the campaign – available in Arabic, English, French, Irish, Italian and Spanish – on the Garda Facebook and Twitter pages. More information can be read on publicjobs.ie.

Recession

Speaking about the recruitment drive in May, Flanagan said a reduction in garda numbers and the closure of the Garda Training College was “a damaging legacy of the economic recession”.

However, he noted that since the college reopened in September 2014 almost 1,770 new gardaí have been assigned to communities across the country.

“Another 600 recruits are due to attest later this year which will bring Garda numbers to 14,000, ensuring that the target of 15,000 by 2021 is well on track to be achieved,” Flanagan said in a statement at the time.

Taking account of projected retirements, reaching a strength of 15,000 by 2021 will require some 1,600 more gardaí to be recruited on a phased basis over the next two years.

Flanagan said successful candidates from the new campaign will be expected to enter the Garda Training College in Templemore, Co Tipperary in the second quarter of 2019.