Fergus O'Dowd (Louth, Fine Gael) | Oireachtas source

I welcome the Minister’s comments. In particular, I welcome the reassurance for the whole country that we will have more gardaí, that they will be better looked after in terms of better training and that there will be an additional Garda Reserve presence.

I would like to ask a question without going into the detail. I appreciate the position as to why people resign as opposed to retiring. The Minister spoke about tackling that from the retention side. Has the Minister commissioned a study or report as to how we can keep people in the service? What are the reasons they give for leaving, if the Minister has them? What is the Minister’s view of the question of the retirement age? I appreciate her comment to the effect that she is looking at that matter. It would be very beneficial if she could retain people who have provided a major service and who could serve in a different capacity, given the expert knowledge and experience they possess.

See this speech in context