Concerns mount as 250 more gardaí than thought are eligible to retire

Concerns over the strength of An Garda Síochána have deepened after it emerged there are 1,450 members eligible to retire — 250 more than previously stated.

With the force currently at around 13,400 members, it is thought to be only a matter of time before it falls through the 13,000 minim-um floor set by Garda Commissioner Martin Callinan.

But there was some good news for rural communities after Justice Minister Alan Shatter gave his first indication that there would be no more Garda station closures — for several years, at least.