The Government and Garda management are considering radical measures to attract foreign nationals to the Garda, including direct recruitment from eastern European police forces and granting Irish citizenship to successful applicants, writes Conor Lally, Crime Correspondent.
The move follows the failure to recruit large numbers of foreign nationals living in Ireland to the force despite a major recruitment drive over the past year.
The new campaign would be focused on trying to attract those who are already working in foreign police forces. The Garda has in recent months lost members, including three highly skilled fingerprint analysts, to the South Australian police force following direct recruitment by that force.
Similar recruitment by the Garda would allow for the fast-tracking of foreign nationals through the Garda College in Templemore, Co Tipperary. It is likely that initial efforts would focus on trying to attract Poles.
According to the latest census, 62,000 Polish nationals are living here. Minister of State for Integration Conor Lenihan believes the true figure is between 160,000 and 200,000.
The Government and Garda management believe the force needs to move more quickly to reflect the rapidly increasing multicultural make-up of Irish society.
In July it emerged that only 11 of more than 7,000 foreign applicants to the force had won a place at the Garda College. This was despite the requirement to have a proficiency in the Irish language being dropped.
Garda sources said while recruitment directly from other jurisdictions is being actively considered, details of exactly how the plan would work have yet to be formulated.
However, the process would most likely take the form of a media advertising campaign in target countries and the hosting of Garda recruitment road shows in other jurisdictions.
The proposal to grant Irish citizenship as an incentive for foreign national police officers to come and work here is being considered by the Department of Justice. It forms part of a wider review of eligibility for citizenship being undertaken by the department.
While EU nationals are already entitled to live and work in Ireland, citizenship would secure them voting rights. It would also mean access to the social welfare system for themselves and their families.