Irish Justice Minister Jim O'Callaghan has called for the Police Service of Northern Ireland (PSNI) to reflect the community it polices. His comments followed a recent PSNI recruitment campaign that attracted the lowest percentage of Catholic applicants in more than a decade.

The PSNI has an under-representation of Catholics in its ranks and fears the situation may worsen. Sinn Féin has called for a return to 50/50 recruitment, under which one Catholic applicant would be selected for every applicant from a Protestant or other background.

O'Callaghan made the remarks after a meeting in Dublin with Northern Ireland Secretary of State Hilary Benn and Irish Foreign Affairs Minister Helen McEntee. He stated that while he does not oversee PSNI recruitment, he wants the force to be representative of Northern Ireland's population.

The meeting also addressed cooperation on legacy investigations related to Troubles-era incidents. Benn highlighted the importance of information sharing by Irish authorities for probes, including the Omagh bombing inquiry.

O'Callaghan confirmed the Irish government's full cooperation and noted prior provision of significant documentation on Omagh. He said Irish legislation for the Omagh inquiry will be introduced next month and enacted promptly, with further laws in May.

O'Callaghan emphasised to Benn the need for access to UK legislation. Both governments are aligned on legacy proposals, including a Legacy Commission for Troubles-related killings, an information recovery body, and a dedicated unit within An Garda Síochána.