Garda exodus leaves €8.5m shortfall

Nearly 100 more gardaí than previously expected are leaving the force this year bringing the total number of retirements to about 470.

It represents a 25% jump on official estimates of 375 and is the highest number of Garda retirements since 2009. The sudden exodus has left Garda accounts with an €8.5m shortfall.

Yesterday, Justice Minister Alan Shatter said Martin Callinan, the Garda Commissioner, had to take €7m from elsewhere in the Garda budget to cover the cost, with the remainder coming from the Department of Justice budget.

He told the Dáil justice committee there were currently 13,440 gardaí and confirmed last week’s estimate by the commissioner that 1,200 officers were eligible to retire.

Mr Shatter said the “majority” of those gardaí did not intend to retire and said the agreement with the troika committed the Government to reduce the force to “at least” 13,000.

Commissioner Callinan told the committee last week he did not want the number to drop below 13,000. He said he would “love” if the recruitment ban changed and said, even if it did, it would take two years before a graduate could join the service.

Mr Shatter told the committee it was difficult to forecast definitively the number of retirements in a particular year. He pointed out that gardaí can opt to retire on full pension on reaching 50 and after serving 30 years.

“As a consequence, while provision was made for approximately 375 lump sum gratuity payments in the current year [2012], the likely number of actual payments is expected to be in the region of 470, which gives rise to a shortfall of about €8.5m.”

There were 428 retirements in 2011 and 353 in 2010.

Mr Shatter pointed out to Fianna Fáil justice spokesman Niall Collins, who questioned him on the matter, that the Fianna Fáil- led government signed up to an agreement with troika, which obliged the State to reduce garda numbers to “at least” 13,000.

Mr Shatter said he hoped to be in a position to start recruitment again: “I’m sure we will, but I don’t want to put a date on it.”

He also told the committee an additional €5m was needed to fill a shortfall in the courts budget.

He said there had been a “significant” fall, up to 20%, in fee income generated from Special Exemption Orders. These orders are required by bars and clubs to serve late. He said the drop is “directly related to the economic downturn”.

He said while the fall in revenue was “regrettable”, the fact young people were spending less on alcohol was a “good thing”.

Mr Shatter said the Department of Justice would have €62m less to spend next year, compared to 2012 — while it had €100m less than in 2011.