We often hear there is a shortage of gardaí. It seems the recruitment process takes an inordinate amount of time, and I will give an example. People first have to apply, then there is an aptitude test, that is followed by a scenario test, followed by an interview online, followed by a fitness test, which is followed by two interviews with members of An Garda Síochána. All of that can take over a year. Is there anything that can be done to telescope that so we can recruit? It is not fair to have people in suspense for over a year as to whether they are going to get an offer from An Garda Síochána. Is there any way we can telescope that so it would be a more streamlined operation?

It is a very constructive suggestion from Deputy Ó Cuív and I thank him for it. We have to look at that while, as the Deputy rightly suggests, we maintain standards as well. Each of the processes is important, such as fitness and vetting, and no one is disputing any of that. However, is there a more efficient way of moving through this, particularly at a time when we need more gardaí? There are quite a lot of people expressing an interest in becoming a garda and I know my colleague, the Minister for Justice, is working on this.