Jim O'Callaghan (Dublin Bay South, Fianna Fail) | Oireachtas source

I am obviously very accountable to the House, as I should be. Any information that my Department can provide will be provided. I will look into the issue the Deputy raises about getting further information from An Garda Síochána. Sometimes that just takes a bit of time but I have no difficulty with being accountable in this House for what gardaí do.

There is nothing we can do about retirements although we did manage to change the age from 60 to 62. Sometimes I grant extensions to 63 or 64. In fact, invariably if I am asked, I will extend a garda's term of service because we want to keep people in the force. I have the say that the explanations that are provided indicate to me that we should be keeping people within the force because of the expertise they have.

Resignations are a different matter. We are always going to have resignations. In terms of the reasons for resignations, I will go back and have a look at some of the post-resignation or departure interviews but most of them, from my recollection, were standard reasons. As I said to Deputy Gannon, many of them were because gardaí got different offers in the private sector. Obviously, terms and conditions are important. What I cannot do, however, because I would be thrown out of Government if I did, is start agreeing separate terms with An Garda Síochána outside of the public service pay agreements that apply.

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