Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I propose to take Questions Nos. 1 and 3 together.

There are currently just under 13,400 members of the Garda Síochána, along with approximately 2,000 civilian support staff and 1,100 reserve gardaí. While it is difficult to predict with any certainty the number of Garda members who will retire in any year, given that members with 30 years' service may retire on full pension after the age of 50, a retirement rate in line with recent experience could see Garda strength approaching 13,000 by the end of this year. I have said that I would not like to see Garda strength fall below that level and I will bring proposals to Government shortly in respect of maintaining Garda operational strength.

However, it is of course the case that a resumption of Garda recruitment, at a time when both overall headcount and the size of the pay bill in the public service must be reduced, would have financial implications that must be managed within the overall resources available to Government. It is not credible for any Deputy to pay lip-service to the need for budgetary discipline while at the same time implying through questions like these that the cost of significant elements of the public service can be increased without regard for the financial consequences. In that context, it is important that the current impasse in terms of the Labour Relations Commission, LRC, proposals on saving €1 billion from the public service pay bill, including €300 million this year, be first resolved. As Deputies will be aware, the LRC is currently exploring with all of the parties concerned the potential for such a resolution. I hope that there is a positive outcome to that process.

I also remind the House that the expenditure ceilings for the years 2012-14 planned by the last Government would have resulted in an average of €90 million less for the Garda Síochána budget each of the years 2012, 2013 and 2014 than is the case under this Government. Such a scenario would have necessitated a significant further reduction in Garda strength, not an increase, and perhaps Deputies might not lose sight of that when discussing this issue.

Any resumption of Garda recruitment will have implications for the Garda College in Templemore, but I assure the House that the Garda College remains fully open as the main training centre for the Garda Síochána. The chief superintendent in charge of the college and the members of the team there develop, co-ordinate and direct all training interventions up to the most senior ranks. The college provides operationally focused training across a range of areas, including firearms training, driver training, public order training, operational skills programmes, management development programmes and, of course, Garda Reserve training. In 2012, training was provided in the college for over 5,000 members of the Garda Síochána, and I can confirm for the House that the college will continue to provide a centre of excellence for training for members of the Garda force.

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