Next Gardai Recruitment (And Counter Terrorism Unit Question)

Hey Target,

Made an account to reply.

I'm in a similar situation (finished masters in the UK in a specialist subject related to what you're looking at) but was lucky enough to apply for this campaign and will hopefully starting in the next month or so.

Unfortunately, they're pretty strict with the need to go through the full probationary period and all that jazz before you can even apply for specialist positions. I don't mind waiting it out, and hopefully my academic background will stand to me, but I can understand why others wouldn't be so patient.

Your best bet for fast-tracking is the "Direct to Inspector" program the English and Welsh police forces run. It's uber competitive and you need at least three years residency in the UK before you can apply (which is what made me apply for the Garda rather than waiting for that) but if you don't mind the wait (or are already passed that) then you can specialise within three years with them!

I looked into it all in great detail before deciding to apply in at home in Ireland, so if you have any questions ask away!

No bother!

I don't mind you asking and I'd usually have no problem saying but I'd rather not be too specific as I'm wary of giving out too much info with the recruitment process still underway (I see a lot of people posting OOM numbers and the like on here and I really don't think it's a good idea). It was a top 5 Uni in the UK and the course was specifically terrorism and CT related, with a previous masters in a related discipline.

You're right about the lack of opportunities for any sort of direct placement or specialization in Ireland. There are so many schemes in the UK that take relevant education into account, although not without some resentment from within the forces themselves, apparently. The best we have here is the fact that you start higher on the pay scale if you've got a degree, whether it's in the study of terrorism or criminology or nutrition is irrelevant.

Theoretically, it would take a minimum of three to three-and-a-half years from the start of training in Templemore to have the opportunity to be moved from a generic Garda position into a specialist one. For me, that's not too bad, given the required three years of residency in the UK in order to apply for Direct to Inspector schemes, which are then three year programs. MI5 and 6 are off limits to me personally as they require British citizenship and 10 years of residency, as far as I remember.

Given the way things in Europe have been developing over the past couple years, the need for people with a background in CT in the Gardai may speed things up in terms of new recruits with that experience getting into those positions, but there's no guarantee of course. It's a depressing thought but I suppose we're somewhat lucky in the sense that we have skills (academically, at least) in an area which seems to be only becoming more and more relevant

As for the next recruitment drive, I've no idea. A year on from the previous one, maybe? So January?

I'd say if you want to come home and do good work here, then it's worth the wait. You'd also have to be sure that you'd be content with ordinary uniformed Garda work for at least three years, potentially more. Again, for me this is not a big deal because I do a lot of community outreach stuff and I love the work. That said, who knows how things will develop? The Garda website does specify that "ordinarily" new recruits have to spend three years in normal duty before moving in to a specialist area, which seems to leave some scope for progression in fewer than three years for exceptional candidates and/or exceptional circumstances.

And congrats on handing in the dissertation. It's a ****ing relief, I know