Joanna Tuffy (Dublin Mid West, Labour)
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Question 168: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform the number of gardaí who have applied and been approved for the incentivised early retirement scheme; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43653/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The incentivised scheme for early retirement (I.S.E.R.) announced by the Department of Finance on the 30 April 2009 does not apply where the relevant pension scheme provides for faster accrual rates of service which allow staff to retire with full pension after less than 40 years' actual service. Members of An Garda Síochána already enjoy enhanced superannuation terms where service in excess 20 years is doubled, so that 30 years actual pensionable service equates to 40 years for the calculation of superannuation benefits.

Joe McHugh (Donegal North East, Fine Gael)
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Question 169: To ask the Minister for Justice, Equality and Law Reform his views on whether garda numbers in areas close to the border should reflect local population sizes across the border in view of the fact that there is free movement of persons across the border; if he will take this matter into consideration when next assigning garda officers; his views on whether rural parts of counties Louth, Monaghan, Cavan, and Donegal are close to densely populated parts of the northern jurisdiction; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [43669/09]

Dermot Ahern (Louth, Fianna Fail)
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The Garda Commissioner, with his senior managers and Divisional Officers, arranges for the allocation of Garda personnel throughout the State. Garda management is aided in this by a distribution model known as the Garda Establishment Redistribution Model (GERM).

I am advised by the Commissioner that this model indicates the most effective means to distribute Garda personnel and acts as a guide to Garda management decision making. It takes into account many different policing variables, including crime trends, socio-economic factors, census information and the minimum establishment required for each District. The allocation of Garda personnel is determined by these factors and also takes account of the policing requirements of each individual Division.