Cathal Berry (Kildare South, Independent) | Oireachtas source

I thank the Minister for that useful information. Most people would say that being a garda is not the job that it used to be. It is not as attractive a career as it was in the past. This relates to shift work, work-life balance and perhaps the lack of respect for gardaí among some members of the public. It is a more dangerous job. Post 2013 the paltry pension is a fraction of what their predecessors would have had and is having an effect.

I intend to be as constructive as possible. The Garda Reserve is a very underutilised pool of people. There are about 300 people in the Garda Reserve at the moment. It is an excellent tool for both recruitment and retention. People can test the water and if they like it, they can transfer to the regular service thereafter. It is also good for people with young families. A regular member of An Garda Síochána might be going through a very intense period at home for a couple of years, perhaps looking after an elderly parent and may wish to step back from the front-line Garda service for a couple of years. Is it possible to transfer from the regular service to the Garda Reserve just for a couple of years and then transfer back? If not, perhaps the Minister might consider that to improve retention.

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