It’s hoped a new Garda recruitment campaign will encourage more minorities to join the force.
The Justice Minister is asking those from a migrant or Traveler background to consider applying, with the aim of making an Garda Síochana "more reflective" of Irish Society.
To encourage more minorities to join the Gardaí the Justice Minister has removed barriers that have stopped people applying in the past.
There’ll be changes to the uniform policy and Helen McEntee says the need to be proficient in both Irish and English has been scrapped.
"Those who might have come to Ireland when they were maybe eight or nine or a little bit older."
"They didn't take up Irish."
"They weren't speaking their own language from the country they came from, so this immediately is a barrier to them."
We are strengthening and supporting @gardainfo as it protects our communities. Next year, we will recruit 800 frontline Gardaí and 400 Garda staff. Our new recruitment campaign starts in January. Over Christmas, think about joining An Garda Síochána. https://t.co/N89cTSzYdt
— Helen McEntee TD (@HMcEntee) December 16, 2021
Pavee Point On Travellers
Pavee Point’s Martin Collins supports the call.
He hopes it’ll help to improve the Traveller community relationship with the Gardaí:
"Travellers do lack confidence with An Garda Siochana."
"So the best way to deal with issues is when Travellers look at An Garda Siochana, they see their own faces looking back at them."
Immigrant Council Of Ireland
The Immigrant Council of Ireland backs Minister McEntee’s message too.
But Integration Manager Teresa Buckowska says the department should consider changing how they engage with migrants:
"It’s not enough to put that information out there that there has to be more active recruitment, and recruitment that is based on cultural knowledge."
800 Garda and 400 garda staff posts will be created when applications open in early 2022.
