Minister denies crisis despite Garda exodus

JUSTICE Minister Dermot Ahern has denied there is a crisis looming in the Garda Síochána due to a mounting exodus of experienced gardaí from the force.

He said he could not say when the vacancies will be filled, citing the chronic state of the country’s finances. Exceptions were being made to the public service ban on promotions and recruitment where there was a “critical problem” of key positions being vacant.

As reported in the Irish Examiner last week, 579 gardaí have taken voluntary retirement, largely because of cuts to their pay as well as threatened taxes on pension lump sums and the possible axing of Garda allowances.