Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

The retirement age is 60. The Deputy’s point raises issues across the public sector. There was a challenge in court, as the Deputy may remember. The Government’s policy approach has been that there is a need for this ongoing recruitment and refreshment of the gardaí, the lifeblood of the organisation. The Garda is very pleased to have new recruits now. Every division in the country has got new gardaí. The total figure will be 1,150. The primary focus is to keep that going. We have taken the approach that we need to invest in An Garda Síochána to enable it to have mobile policing and the vehicles it needs. Also, information and communication technology, ICT, is critical in terms of efficiencies.