Is there any exception to the Gardai entry age of 36. I am 38 and have always wanted to be a Gardai but they weren't recruiting before I emigrated. Are there any special qualifications that I could get in order to enter or is it strictly age related. If age related, is this a form of discrimmination?
I know one or two people who entered the guards in recent years, and afaik there was no deviation from entrance requirements - there are a lot more applicants than places.
Certain employers, e.g. the guards, and the Irish Army, are exempt from aspects of equality legislation (if I recall all those newspaper ads correctly).
You may also find the following information useful - they are FAQ's on entry requirements to the Gardai (issued on their website). Useful information on the recruitment process and what's involved - along with a film clip of the physical competency tests. (Physical competency tests have replaced the height restriction).
For what it's worth [broken link removed] also reports on some planned changes to the recruitment rules in an attempt to attract more ethnic minority recruits.