The Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, Michael McDowell, has reported "unprecedented" civilian interest locally in working at the new Garda Information Services Centre in Castlebar, Co Mayo, where crimes are logged on to the Garda Pulse computer system immediately they are notified by gardaí on mobile phones.
Mr McDowell said at the official opening of the new centre yesterday that there had been over 2,000 applications for the 30 positions available as part of the final recruitment drive.
The centre, which began operating eight months ago, is staffed by 128 civil servants, many of whom transferred from the Department of Agriculture, where they were involved in such sectors as headage payments; the suckler cow premium; the special beef premium and the ewe premium.
When recruitment is completed in September, the centre will employ 160 people.
The centre covers the entire southern and eastern regions handling up to 2,000 incidents per week.
In the past week the system has become operational in parts of Dublin.
The planned extension to the northern and western region is planned for completion by the end of this month.
The establishment of the centre, which eliminates the need for gardaí to return to their stations to report incidents, will benefit all gardaí, particularly those who are based in smaller towns and villages, Mr McDowell said yesterday.
Before an audience, which included the Garda Commissioner, Noel Conroy, and the head of the Mayo Garda Division, Chief Supt Tony McNamara, the Minister pledged that his commitment to the modernisation of the force didn't end with Pulse and the Garda Information Services Centre.
Further planned developments included a new Automated Fingerprint Identification System and a new Schengen Information System, which will provide the force with a link between Pulse and a central EU-wide database of criminal alerts.
Another vital technology he said he was personally committed to was the delivery of an ultra-modern digital radio service for the force.
Earlier in the afternoon, at Castlebar Garda station, Mr McDowell announced that he has approved the establishment of 10 Garda Youth Diversion Projects, located in: Birr, Blanchardstown, Carlow, Castlebar, Cavan, Clondalkin, Limerick, Tallaght and Tralee (two projects).