The Government has approved changes to entry requirements for the Garda as part of an initiative to recruit more non-nationals and members of ethnic minorities.
Under the new rules applicants to join the force will no longer have to hold a qualification in Irish or English. Instead, they must prove they are competent in two languages, at least one of which must be English or Irish.
Minister for Justice Mr McDowell said the language requirement had meant that entry rules were "stacked against non-nationals". He said it was important for the Garda to reflect the people it served.
Mr McDowell said recruits who do not have a qualification in Irish will undertake basic training in the language in Templemore as part of their training. Details of this would be finalised in conjunction with Minister for Community, Rural and Gaeltacht Affairs, Éamon Ó Cuív.
Entry to the Garda will be open to EU nationals, European Economic Area states and any non-national who has been lawfully present in the State for five years.
The changes will also broaden the category of person that may be recruited, without adhering to normal entry requirements, to people with "special aptitudes, knowledge, skills or technical qualifications".
Mr McDowell said this would give the Garda commissioners greater flexibility in recruiting members to meet the growing specialist demands of the Garda.
"If, for example, an assistant commissioner was of the view that we needed experienced officers to deal with policing issues that arise with our resident Chinese community, the Garda would be enabled to go to a country where there are Chinese police officers, who have an insight into the common law system, and recruit them straight into the Garda on a technical basis," Mr McDowell said.
He said a recruitment campaign would begin at the end of the month as part of plans to increase the size of the force to 14,000.
"This initiative clearly shows the commitment of the Government and An Garda Síochána to effective policing in a more diverse society. It is a very good day for the force and for policing in this country," he said.
The National Consultative Committee on Racism and Interculturalism, an advisory body to the Government, has expressed hope that sufficient supports would be put in place for members of ethnic minorities who successfully apply to join the Garda.
The Garda Representative Association has also welcomed the move to ensure the force reflects an increasingly diverse society.