HALF OF WOMEN FAIL GARDA FITNESS TEST

Younger candidates flunk out more

- KEN FOXE

NEARLY half the women who took the garda fitness test last year failed despite a major crisis in the recruitment of police.

Overall, 162 potential recruits of the 520 who applied in 2022 crashed out due to fitness failings - a failure rate of more than 30 percent.

Younger candidates fared worst with those under the age of 26 underperforming their older counterparts, figures from An Garda Siochana show.

The pass rates for female candidates were much worse than men, with 80 of 171 women flunking the physical testa failure rate of 47 percent.