Willie O'Dea (Limerick East, Fianna Fail)

It means that a person can escape in such a manner, as far as I understand it. The worst sanction that can be taken against a person is that they can be dismissed from the force. If they have left the force, not only is the option of dismissal not available, but also other options, such as demotion, cannot be pursued. People who retire, with the collusion of management in many cases as Senator Maurice Hayes has correctly pointed out, are not those who are retiring voluntarily. They are retiring because they have no option – they are being pushed. I suppose that is regarded as sufficient sanction. The Garda can impose disciplinary sanctions on its members, but it cannot do so in relation to those who have left. When people are gone, they are gone.