Sergeant promotions without examinations
Since January 1970, 13.9% of promotions to sergeant were made under the special provision for members who had not passed qualifying examinations; the Minister said this was consistent with earlier years.
asked the Minister for Justice the number of Garda sergeants promoted recently from a list, other than those who qualified by examination; and the percentage this represents of the total number of promotions in that rank.
Comment on this
Special provision in the Garda Síochána (Promotion) Regulations, 1960 permits the Commissioner to promote to the rank of sergeant members of the force who have not passed the qualifying examinations but who have shown special zeal and ability in the performance of their duties. However, the proportion of serving sergeants in this category to the total number of serving sergeants at various dates, for example, at the beginning of each year, is not readily available.
In the period since January 1970 the members promoted on the basis indicated constituted 13.9 per cent of all promotions to the rank of sergeant. So far this year eight out of a total of 49 were promoted on this basis.