Pádraig Mac Lochlainn (Donegal North East, Sinn Fein)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

782. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the reason for encouraging current members of An Garda Síochána to take an incentivised career break while at the same time recruiting new members. [13732/14]

Alan Shatter (Dublin South, Fine Gael)
Link to this: Individually | In context | Oireachtas source

The Incentivised Career Break Scheme for members of An Garda Síochána is part of the agreed terms set out in the Public Service Stability Agreement 2013 - 2016 (The Haddington Road Agreement). Appendix 3, the Collective Agreement for An Garda Síochána, provides that, among other things, the use of short-term career breaks, Incentivised career breaks, unpaid leave and family friendly schemes will also be made available.

This agreement was entered into between the Garda Staff Associations and the management side.

My objective is to maintain Garda strength at 13,000 and the number of trainees to be recruited will be determined taking that objective into account along with the rate of departures from the force over the coming years, including those who take up the option of the incentivised career break.