Its proposed introduction here prompted a major row between then minister for justice Michael McDowell and rank-and-file gardaí. Eventually, the minister got his way and the first members of the Garda Reserve graduated in December 2006. But almost four years on, new figures reveal that by the end of June there were only 555 attested reserve members based at stations around the country. This is around one third of the original target set.

Justice minister Dermot Ahern told the Dáil earlier this month that the figure was set to be augmented by a further 180 student reserve members, 83 of whom have since graduated.

"The government has set a target strength for the reserve at 10% of the full-time strength of the force. As the Garda Reserve depends on volunteers who undertake their training and other duties during their free time, it is difficult to predict how many people will commence training in any particular period," he said.

"However, I can assure the deputy and the House that the garda commissioner is continuing to make every effort to reach the recruitment target… the Public Appointments Service has received over 7,000 expressions of interest to join the reserve since the start of this year.

"The government is strongly committed to the development of the reserve. It has been a very successful initiative and I am confident that it will continue to flourish into the future."

However, a spokesman for the Garda Representative Association – which resisted the introduction of the reserve – told the Sunday Tribune that it believed the money spent on recruiting and training the reserve would be better spent employing full-time members of the force.

He said members of the reserve had to be accompanied – or "babysat" – by a fully-attested member of the force, and there were serious limits on what they could be used for.

"We would like to see every available euro spent on policing, and we would object to any money being spent on what is a supplementary initiative," he said.

"Until that point, this is a luxury which we can ill afford in the current climate."

Labour Party justice spokesman Pat Rabbitte said he believed the idea of a garda reserve "would have been strangled at birth" were it not for the personality of the then minister for justice [Michael McDowell].

He had used its introduction as a "smokescreen" to mask other difficulties he was having meeting commitments on garda numbers.

"It seems to me on balance it is a positive thing, but experience bears out there was never any warmth for it or encouragement for it among gardaí, " he said.

On the bench: Garda reserve members across the country

Dublin South City

Station: Kevin Street Totoal: 7
Kilmainham 5
Pearse Street 17
Harcourt Tce 0
Donnybrook 4
Irishtown 1

Total 34

Dublin North City

Store Street 7
Bridewell 5
Fitzgibbon Street 8
Mountjoy 1

Total 21

Dublin NORTH

Santry 7
Whitehall 1
Ballymun 9
Raheny 4
Clontarf 5
Howth 4
Coolock 9
Swords 6
Malahide 2
Balbriggan 5

Total 52

Dublin EAST

Dun Laoghaire 9
Dalkey 0
Cabinteely 0
Kill-O-Grange 0
Shankill 3
Blackrock 6
Dundrum 2
Stepaside 0

Total 20

Dublin SOUTH

Crumlin 6
Sundrive Road 5
Tallaght 10
Rathfarnham 4
Rathmines 6
Terenure 7

Total 38

DMR WEST

Cabra 0
Finglas 6
Blanchardstown 19
Lucan 8
Ronanstown 2
Ballyfermot 4
Clondalkin 5
Rathcoole 0

Total 44

Dublin TOTAL 209

Waterford

Waterford 18
Tramore 2
Dungarvan 1

Total 21

Wexford

Gorey 4
Enniscorthy 3
New Ross 2
Wexford 3

Total 12

Tipperary

Nenagh 1
Thurles 1
Roscrea 3
Carrick-On Suir 2
Clonmel 4
Templemore 1
Cahir 3
Tipperary 2

Total 17

Kilkenny/Carlow

Kilkenny 6
Thomastown 1
Carlow 8

Total 15

S/E Region

Total 65

Cork City

Anglesea Street 12
Mayfield 6
Watercourse Road 5
Togher 6
Gurranbraher 10

Total 39

Cork North

Mallow 2
Cobh 3
Fermoy 3
Midleton 4

Total 12

Cork West

Bandon 3
Clonakilty 4
Macroom 3

Total 10

Kerry

Tralee 3
Killarney 1

Total 4

Limerick

Henry Street 16
Mayorstone Park 3
Roxboro Rd 1

Total 20

Sth Region

Total 85

Donegal

Letterkenny 10
Buncrana 2
Ballybofey 1

Total 13

Cavan/Monaghan

Cavan 4
Castleblaney 1
Monaghan 6

Total 11

Sligo/Leitrim

Sligo 7
Ballymote 2
Manorhamilton 2
Carrick-On-Shannon 2

Total 13

Louth

Drogheda 10
Dundalk 7
Ardee 3

Total 20

Nth Region

Total 57

Clare

Ennis 9
Shannon 1

Total 10

Mayo

Castlebar 13
Ballina 3
Swinford 1
Claremorris 1
Westport 3

Total 21

Galway

Galway 23
Tuam 5
Ballinasloe 2
Loughrea 4
Salthill 4

Total 38

Roscommon/Longford

Roscommon 4
Longford 4
Granard 1

Total 9

West Region

Total 78

Westmeath

Athlone 3
Mullingar 7

Total 10

Meath

Navan 4
Ashbourne 1
Trim 2
Kells 3
Laytown 1

Total 11

Kildare

Naas 5
Athy 3
Celbridge 1
Newbridge 3
Kildare 5

Total 17

Laois/Offaly

Tullamore 7
Birr 1
Portlaoise 4

Total 12

Wicklow

Bray 4
Blessington 1
Wicklow 3
Arklow 1
Baltinglass 2

Total 11

East Region

Total 61

Total 555

Garda Reserve numbers taken on 31 May