The Panel

dylmeister · 19-07-2013 10:39PM

carzony wrote: »

Well, Maybe i'm biased but I hated school from an early age and when I started 5th year they put me in the Leaving Cert Applied course, which has made thing very difficult for me as there are loads of courses I can't qualify for now, i'd need my 'traditional leaving cert'.

Luckily, I can apply for the garda but still. I don't wanna go off topic here but I really think scrapping the education requirement would be a sensible move. Having a good/bad leaving cert means nothing in the real world.

You only have to look at the disaster Irish has turned out to be. After most people learning it in school,hardly anyone can speak the language :o

Personally after waiting a while for developments with our panel I decided to go do a degree and am now entering my 3rd year, if I have to re-do everything again and get to interview stage AGAIN at least it won't look to bad with me trying to do something, would like to own my own sport shop someday that was my back up plan if the garda thing didn't work out

kdarragh · 19-07-2013 11:21PM

Yea same as myself.. The Panel really kept me grounded the last 5 years..

I was 18 when I completed all stages, 23 now, just bought a house and will be looking to start college next September as the job I'm currently in is in no way what I want to be doing for a day longer than I have to.

It's a pity about the panel because I would like to think I'd be a graduate at this stage if I had have known we were going to be overlooked for places for the next batch of trainees..

Anyone else gettin txts and calls from friends and family telling you the ban has been lifted and asking are you going training soon? :mad: ?

endacl · 19-07-2013 11:23PM

carzony wrote: »

I really think scrapping the education requirement would be a sensible move.

Could not disagree more.

dylmeister · 19-07-2013 11:28PM

kdarragh wrote: »

Yea same as myself.. The Panel really kept me grounded the last 5 years..

I was 18 when I completed all stages, 23 now, just bought a house and will be looking to start college next September as the job I'm currently in is in no way what I want to be doing for a day longer than I have to.

It's a pity about the panel because I would like to think I'd be a graduate at this stage if I had have known we were going to be overlooked for places for the next batch of trainees..

Anyone else gettin txts and calls from friends and family telling you the ban has been lifted and asking are you going training soon? :mad: ?

Ha ha you know what, that's the worst thing for me, everyone in the place asking few years back, "when are you starting, I hear you got the Garda" and now it's the same again, when you going in? I'm dreading the day if it happens that I have to say I have to start from scratch again!

annlewis · 19-07-2013 11:36PM

dylmeister wrote: »

Ha ha you know what, that's the worst thing for me, everyone in the place asking few years back, "when are you starting, I hear you got the Garda" and now it's the same again, when you going in? I'm dreading the day if it happens that I have to say I have to start from scratch again!

I feel your pain guys. Exactly the same myself.

carzony · 20-07-2013 12:48AM

endacl wrote: »

Could not disagree more.

why? I see no reason for having the requirement? In my mind someone who has been keeping busy, proves there involved in the community and has the drive to become a member is more important than a few marks in subjects that are basically meaningless.

Nice to hear that a lot of you lads on the panel are atleast still quite young and It's important to keep busy, even for your own sanity

I know a good few of you have back up plans but i'm kinda struggling to find any other job i'd like to get into

:o

endacl · 20-07-2013 12:57AM

carzony wrote: »

why? I see no reason for having the requirement? In my mind someone who has been keeping busy, proves there involved in the community and has the drive to become a member is more important than a few marks in subjects that are basically meaningless.

Its not about the subjects. Those subjects are essentially meaningless in any walk of life. Really wanting to be a member of AGS, and joining loads of community groups are all very well, but they won't help you take statements, prepare evidence for court, understand (often quite convoluted) legislation, and any number of other tasks which are quite routine for a guard. The standard required is a basic standard. If someone couldn't reach it, maybe that'd just be too bad. If they really wanted to be a guard, maybe their time would be well spent hitting what is realistically quite a low minimum standard of education?

Devil08 · 20-07-2013 09:32AM

Anyone who has the done the leaving cert shows they have commitment, leaving school having done it gives anyone a solid foundation to go on and apply themselves to do anything they want, its an experience more than anything that can shape who you become. Its not about the subjects or the results you got necessarily. There is a lot of studying and exams to be done when training to become a Garda so having been through the leaving cert will certainly stand to you! Scrapping the requirements would be insane in my opinion, and if there is approx 30,000 people interested, they should be adding more requirements to get the best candidates, not removing them.

paddymc1 · 21-07-2013 01:26PM

Hi all who been waiting for this chance again to get to the Garda college.
Any news on what going happen to the panel?
I'm now 39, anyone else in here around the same age? I know there was a few of us who were close to cut off age before they stoped taking people down. Would you still consider going if got that call? As we still on panel we still can get in if they keep it and finish out the rest of process with no issues...
What you think...

thekopend · 21-07-2013 04:58PM

paddymc1 wrote: »

Hi all who been waiting for this chance again to get to the Garda college.
Any news on what going happen to the panel?
I'm now 39, anyone else in here around the same age? I know there was a few of us who were close to cut off age before they stoped taking people down. Would you still consider going if got that call? As we still on panel we still can get in if they keep it and finish out the rest of process with no issues...
What you think...

I think because a few of ye are a few years older than 35 is just another reason why the panel will be more than likely scrapped, not saying this in a negative way just from a logical point of view. The benefits of keeping the panel after 5 years is little. My opinion is that it's back to square one.

annlewis · 21-07-2013 05:54PM

There are a few people on the panel that may be over the age limit now so who knows what will happen. I still think some contact should be made with us on it to see if we are still here and interested. There may be a few folk not interested now cause their lives have taken a different direction but for those of us who are still here, interested and kept fit and healthy in the event of being called up since the moratorium came into effect, should we not be given a chance ?

I know ive kept myself fit and healthy anyway. I know people said don't put your life on hold but in some ways some of us did. Sad I know but true.

If the panel is scrapped there probably won't be a lot we can do only apply again if you want it badly enough. When you pass the aptitude test and get to interview and say you were on the ill fated panel since 2009 surely that shows your commitment to the job.

Hang in there till we hear for definite

kdarragh · 21-07-2013 06:06PM

paddymc1 wrote: »

Hi all who been waiting for this chance again to get to the Garda college.
Any news on what going happen to the panel?
I'm now 39, anyone else in here around the same age? I know there was a few of us who were close to cut off age before they stoped taking people down. Would you still consider going if got that call? As we still on panel we still can get in if they keep it and finish out the rest of process with no issues...
What you think...

Have to agree with thekopend on this one.. A Sgt. I know was saying that they were considering taking a select few from the panel down as the first batch when recruitment started again (this being 18 months ago) but this lead to problems because of the age of candidates and the new training program. He used the term "varying aspects" as to why the panel would struggle to be used.

This is the truth, they were doing back-round checks on people up until a year ago. I know a lad who got a letter 14 months ago saying he would not eligible for selection, he hadn't done medical or pct though. The only thing he could think of as a hindrance was the back-round check.

annlewis · 21-07-2013 06:24PM

Can he apply for feedback or info why ?

shakin · 21-07-2013 06:36PM

Back to running and studying aptitude test...ughhh! Ah well!

Devil08 · 21-07-2013 06:46PM

I dont mind doing the tests again, its that bloody form that takes about 3 days to fill out!! Having to contact references again etc asking them if theyll put a good word in for you!

kdarragh · 21-07-2013 07:07PM

annlewis wrote: »

Can he apply for feedback or info why ?

At the time he told me he could appeal the decision. I don't know where he got that info from or who he had to appeal to but he never bothered.. he just got in contact with me to see if I had received a letter too as there was no exact reason in the letter..

He wanted to know if everyone had gotten one (scrapped panel) or whether he was alone.

We won't hear anything until September with the Dail being on holidays.

However a good friend of mine had aptitude tests in 2010 and passed, If you can recall former MFJ Dermot Ahern said 100 of us would be brought training at the end of 2010, however, later that year just after the banks collapsed, he received a letter from the Public Appointments to thank him for attending the tests and as there was no recruitment on the horizon his application was void but he could apply again in the next campaign.

It really is all up in the air, I have contacted Alan Shatter's office and got the same reply as another person on this forum. ( an announcement would be made soon on the panel, Blah Blah Blah)

annlewis · 21-07-2013 07:14PM

kdarragh wrote: »

At the time he told me he could appeal the decision. I don't know where he got that info from or who he had to appeal to but he never bothered.. he just got in contact with me to see if I had received a letter too as there was no exact reason in the letter..

He wanted to know if everyone had gotten one (scrapped panel) or whether he was alone.

We won't hear anything until September with the Dail being on holidays.

The Dail are back on the 18th or 19th I think.
That's a pity about that guy. Will he apply again do you know ?

kdarragh · 21-07-2013 09:21PM

annlewis wrote: »

The Dail are back on the 18th or 19th I think.
That's a pity about that guy. Will he apply again do you know ?

Nah sure he's already well come to terms with it.. Sure the rest of us on the panel will find it hard enough to build up the front to apply again after what we've been through, at least we have an extremely small chance of getting through the various stages and being in the next batch..

I think the fact none of us have rang HQ shows that we all subconsciously know the fate of the panel.

It'l be tough getting the news but I admire the people who never say never, I hope that we are right.

annlewis · 21-07-2013 09:45PM

kdarragh wrote: »

Nah sure he's already well come to terms with it.. Sure the rest of us on the panel will find it hard enough to build up the front to apply again after what we've been through, at least we have an extremely small chance of getting through the various stages and being in the next batch..

I think the fact none of us have rang HQ shows that we all subconsciously know the fate of the panel.

It'l be tough getting the news but I admire the people who never say never, I hope that we are right.

You need to build yourself up to ring them. You need to prepare incase they give you the bad news. When I used to buzz them before I'd be shaking ringing them. At the same time though do they know answers to give us. We could ring and they could say no sorry we don't know as of yet.

We definitely have the never say die attitudes alright. Sure look,it will keep us going anyway. It'll keep us ticking over. Keep the fitness up and keep training and sure I guess it cant do any harm to have a read over any old material of the various stages just incase it is worst case scenario

DustyMan · 22-07-2013 05:21PM

I'm sorry to be the bearer of bad news, for some. Although they say it's no ill wind that doesn't blow somebody some good. However in the interest of this forum discussion here is some information I found today. It's hard on people who were on the panel,and obviously you all had aptitude, qualifications and qualities to become a Garda so no reason you can't make it again, so whoever you are hope you can make it the next time....

This is an extract from a statement from Kathleen Lynch who was taking questions in the Dail on the 18th of July on behalf of Deputy Shatter re Garda recruitment.

"In the light of this revised training programme, and in view of the fact that the existing Garda recruitment panel is now approximately five years old, it will not be used in this or any future recruitment. Of course, people on the panel may reapply to join the Garda Síochána, once they meet the eligibility criteria."

The full text of same can be read here....

http://www.kildarestreet.com/debates/?id=2013-07-18a.397&s=garda+reserve#g401

thekopend · 22-07-2013 05:35PM

well, if that dosent answer the question everyone has been asking nothing will.

Devil08 · 22-07-2013 06:57PM

Nice of them to contact us first before making it public like that. Not surprised by Shatter. He fought for months for recruitment to commence years ago when it stopped, said he would do all he could for the panel, and as soon as he was elected he did nothing for recruitment and now stabs us all in back.
Typical polician just looking for votes back then. If I ever become a Garda I will never shake that mans hand on graduating. 5 years waiting for nothing

shakin · 22-07-2013 07:25PM

Devil08 wrote: »

Nice of them to contact us first before making it public like that. Not surprised by Shatter. He fought for months for recruitment to commence years ago when it stopped, said he would do all he could for the panel, and as soon as he was elected he did nothing for recruitment and now stabs us all in back.
Typical polician just looking for votes back then. If I ever become a Garda I will never shake that mans hand on graduating. 5 years waiting for nothing

That wouldn't go unnoticed, and not worth tarnishing your career over, especially while you would be on probation.

Chem Lord · 22-07-2013 07:57PM

As a prospective first time applier here, I should feel great about the news on the panel. However I can't help but think how unfair this is and how angry people must be. Best of luck to people who will be reapplying.

Pappa Charlie · 22-07-2013 09:08PM

Chem Lord wrote: »

As a prospective first time applier here, I should feel great about the news on the panel. However I can't help but think how unfair this is and how angry people must be. Best of luck to people who will be reapplying.

Those arguing against the panel need to understand that they too could find themselves in that position in a couple of years time during this recruitment. I wonder if they would be so keen to see it scrapped then!!! I hope as many as possible of the panel will get through as they deserve their place IMO! People who don't want them to get their place are probably not the type of person needed to do the job of a policeman. A sense of Fairness is an essential quality!

Chem Lord · 22-07-2013 09:25PM

I'm sure the majority of young first timers like myself are putting themselves in the panels position right now and thinking how they would feel if confronted with the same situation.... It's not nice and I'm sure people are afraid it could happen again to the next panel in the coming years.

Ladymuck Thesecond · 23-07-2013 10:44AM

Thats terrible news with the panel...I feel awful for anyone who has been waiting for the last few years. If you got through all the stages before, you can do it again, so dont lose determination!

Yogi Bear · 23-07-2013 01:12PM

Devil08 wrote: »

Nice of them to contact us first before making it public like that. Not surprised by Shatter. He fought for months for recruitment to commence years ago when it stopped, said he would do all he could for the panel, and as soon as he was elected he did nothing for recruitment and now stabs us all in back.
Typical polician just looking for votes back then. If I ever become a Garda I will never shake that mans hand on graduating. 5 years waiting for nothing

Never changes. Tell us nothing. Heard nothing for five years and it gets announced in Dail.

It would be nice to get a letter, saying "thanks for hanging in there, it's not going to happen as to much has changed (which is a load of bull anyway) and you will be looked after if you apply again (i'm too old now)".

:(:(

Canyon86 · 23-07-2013 01:19PM

Yogi Bear wrote: »

Never changes. Tell us nothing. Heard nothing for five years and it gets announced in Dail.

It would be nice to get a letter, saying "thanks for hanging in there, it's not going to happen as to much has changed (which is a load of bull anyway) and you will be looked after if you apply again (i'm too old now)".

:(:(

Sorry to hear that Yogi!!

Did you contact HQ to confirm??

Devil08 · 23-07-2013 01:23PM

I contacted HQ and they said they hadn't been told anything officially. But they said they would contact each candidate once they knew more.

The Panel

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