Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

I take that point; it involves money that could be spent in other areas.

On the Garda Síochána, 258 retired in 2008 so we expected around 400 retirements this year. Unfortunately, the figure has reached 800. It is important to retain people who have knowledge but Garda promotions are still taking place and senior posts are being sanctioned and filled. My colleague, the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform, has made specific proposals that he has sent to the Department of Finance and I expect he will get a positive response.

The position is the same for the Army. I have received sanction for 50 promotions as a first instalment recently and those will be expanded on. I have also been given permission to start to recruit to keep the numbers at about 10,000.

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