Catherine Murphy (Kildare North, Independent)
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339. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the number of Garda personnel in each Division who availed of a three-year career break in each year during which the facility was available; the number expected to return to their positions and when; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [5706/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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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. An incentivised Career Break for An Garda Síochána was announced on 7 March 2014.

The terms of the Scheme stated that a Garda member could commence the career break from 7 March 2014 but no later than 28 February 2015. The commencement date could be postponed only in the event that a member was on maternity leave on 28 February 2015 or if a decision was deferred in accordance with a discipline action. The latest date for returning from the incentivised Career Break is the 28February 2018, unless the date was deferred for one of the reasons stated above. It is expected that all Garda personnel will return to duty on the expiry of their three year career break with 81 expected to return before the end of 2017 and the remaining 110 returning in 2018.

A breakdown of the number of Garda members who commenced their incentivised Career Break in 2014 and 2015, by Division is below.