The government is on course to reach its target of 30% Catholic composition of the PSNI by 2010/2011, the security minister has said.Paul Goggins told parliament the proportion of Catholic officers in the full time PSNI has increased from 8.3% in 1998 to 23.71% in February 2008.
He said the St Andrews Agreement made it clear 50-50 police rectuitment would lapse when the 30% level was reached.
"We are on course to reach this target by 2010/2011," he said.
In a written ministerial statement, Mr Goggins said that since 2001 the PSNI had received more than 80,000 applications from all sections of the community to join its ranks.
"This figure reflects the fact that there is a new generation who are ready to commit to a career in the PSNI and emphasises that confidence in our new policing structures is rising," he said.
In 1999, a commission chaired by Lord Patten recommended widespread changes to the police service, then the Royal Ulster Constabulary.
The Patten Report recommended the 50-50 policy as a key element of the 1998 Good Friday Agreement.
It means 50% of all new recruits to the Police Service of Northern Ireland must be from the Catholic community.
+++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
Disclaimer
No responsibility or liability shall attach itself to either myself or to the blogspot ‘Clerical Whispers’ for any or all of the articles placed here.
The placing of an article hereupon does not necessarily imply that I agree or accept the contents of the article as being necessarily factual in theology, dogma or otherwise.
Sotto Voce