Policies aimed at recruiting foreign nationals into the Garda are to be reviewed after it emerged that only 11 of more than 7,000 foreign applicants to the force have won a place at the Garda training college.
Minister for Justice Brian Lenihan and Garda Commissioner Noel Conroy have both conceded that the numbers from ethnic minorities in training are too low.
However, they insisted the entry requirements had already been relaxed to suit foreign nationals and would not be lowered any further. Instead, targeted recruitment would take place with those foreign nationals now in training to assist in the recruitment of more of their compatriots.
Plans to recruit foreign nationals into the force were first announced by the Government in 2004. Since then the requirement to have a proficiency in the Irish language has been dropped.
However, despite having had more than 7,000 foreign national applicants in the last three years, with 200 having passed the aptitude test, just 11 have progressed through the interview stages and into training.
This group includes four Chinese nationals and one each from Romania, Denmark and Poland, who were in the most recent intake in May into the college. There are a further two Chinese nationals, one Pole and one Canadian trainee at a more advanced stage of training.
Mr Lenihan said the Garda Reserve, which has attracted foreign applicants, could be developed as a means to recruit foreign nationals to the full-time force.
He said while a large number of foreign nationals were resident in the Republic at present, many did not intend to stay long term so would have no interest in joining the Garda.
There was a high number of applicants to the force, which led to tough competition for places.
"I think we can get the figures up," Mr Lenihan said. "It's going to take time, it won't be done overnight.
"We're going to have to target recruitment in these areas. It's not just a matter of relaxing entrance requirements; we want to get the right people as well. The huge influx [ of foreign nationals] has happened in a very short time and it [Garda recruitment] is part of the general challenge of integration."
Mr Conroy believed the small numbers of foreign nationals now in the force would act as role models and many more would join.
"I think in the near future you will see a lot more coming forward from the new communities. Now that we have people in - they are extremely happy with the training - we will be utilising them to assist us in recruiting from the minority communities here in Ireland."
The force had standards and it would be wrong if these were dropped too low, he said.
Some 249 new members passed out yesterday at the Garda College, Templemore.
