Tom Brabazon (Dublin Bay North, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I welcome all of the witnesses. My first question is about the 2013 pension scheme that was introduced. I am on the justice committee, and we have had the Garda Commissioner before us. We have had the GRA in and it suggested that recruitment and retention in particular are a big problem, and this pension set-up is a big part of it. Gardaí are probably paid a little better than the members of PDFORRA. How much of an issue is that for retention and recruitment into the Defence Forces, particularly at enlisted ranks?

My second question relates to the air traffic controller situation. This is the third time since 2010 we have had an issue with air traffic control in Baldonnel. The Garda Commissioner was in a number of weeks ago and I questioned him about the scourge of scramblers and so on in the city. He said the Garda helicopter was a big part of his weaponry to deal with that. Obviously, if the air traffic control is only operating for a limited number of hours daily, that has an impact on policing in the city as well. What lessons have we learned and how can we resolve this issue on a permanent basis in order that we do not have to keep coming back to this problem, given that it has manifested three times since 2010?