501 Deputy Alan Shatter asked the Minister for Justice and Law Reform if he will provide details on the new Garda training programme being developed by the Garda College, including details on the curriculum and the duration of the training programme including the duration of any probation period or any work practice period. [48110/10]

The new B.A. Programme (Applied Policing) currently being developed is a 104 week (2 year) degree level programme which will be accredited by H.E.T.A.C. The 104 week training and education programme will be followed by a 12 month probationary period. The programme is consistent with the recommendations set out in the Training and Development Review Group Report which is available on the Reviews, Inspections and Evaluations section of the the Publications page of the Garda website at www.garda.ie.