Niall Collins (Limerick, Fianna Fail)
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123. To ask the Minister for Justice and Equality the current total strength of An Garda Síochána; the number of gardaí who have retired per annum in the years 2010 to 2014; the estimated number of retirements in 2015; and if she will make a statement on the matter. [19374/15]

Frances Fitzgerald (Dublin Mid West, Fine Gael)
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I have been informed by the Garda Commissioner that the personnel strength of An Garda Síochána on the 31 March 2015 the latest date for which figures are readily available was 12,734. The number of Gardaí who have retired for the years 2010 to 2014 are as set out in the table which I have circulated with this answer.

Members of An Garda Síochána may retire on a voluntary basis once they have reached 50 years of age and have accrued 30 years service. Members must retire on compulsory age grounds on reaching the age of 60.

It is difficult to establish an average figure for Garda retirements, particularly as the annual rate of retirements has been affected in the past by one-off factors such as the grace period which lasted until the end of February 2012. While it would not be unreasonable, therefore, extrapolating from recent experience, to expect that retirements might range somewhere between 300 and 400, it is not possible to give a scientific estimate.

Garda Retirements 2010 - 2014