Helen McEntee (Meath East, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

We need to look at all options. I hope that with the increase in the retirement age, those figures may vary slightly. At the same time, we know what the enormous recruitment in the early 1990s will mean for the coming years. We need to ensure that at the other end, we increase the numbers going into the organisation. The work that has been done to date has got us to this point. To start reaching recruitment of 1,000 new personnel or more, we need to do more. That is why I established the committee. Civilianisation is another key part of making sure that the Garda Reserve is not the only support for our sworn members. The more civilianisation we have, the more front-line gardaí are freed up. Only this week, I completed the civilianisation of our immigration services, meaning that more than 100 gardaí who were behind desks and dealing with immigration queries and services are now working in operational roles. We need to continue to explore more ways to civilianise certain elements of the work of the Garda, as well as ensuring the continuation of investment in technology, including hand-held devices and other equipment, to assist gardaí in doing their jobs.