The expansion of facilities at the Garda College in Templemore, Co Tipperary required to increase the number of gardaí to 14,000 is ahead of schedule, according to the Minister for Justice.
Speaking at the graduation ceremony for the latest crop of recruits, Mr McDowell said the new four-storey administration building for the college will be finished by November.
Construction on the building began last January, and today Mr McDowell oversaw a "topping out" ceremony for the new building. The building and the reconstruction of the dining hall and kitchens at the college will provide the necessary capacity to handle the additional intake of recruits in February 2006.
Mr McDowell also said the Garda Commissioner had completed a review of the eligibility criteria required to become a member of the force, and in particular the requirement to have a knowledge of the Irish language.
"It is essential that future intakes of recruits to An Garda Síochána should reflect the composition of Irish society, and my view is that this is an opportune time to ensure that the criteria for entry meet the evolving needs of An Garda Síochána and the society they serve," said Mr McDowell.
"One issue that arose in this context was the requirement to hold an academic qualification in Irish — a matter which, of course, is of particular relevance to those from different ethnic backgrounds and to all those who did not receive their schooling within the Irish educational system."
However, he said that he believes Irish should continue to have an important role in the force and anyone who wishes to communicate with the gardaí in Irish should be able to do so.
Mr McDowell said he will shortly bring a proposal to Cabinet regarding the eligibility requirements.