Officer received €170k golden handshake

One high-ranking garda last year received a golden handshake of more than €170,000 as part of a €25.9m pension bonanza for retiring gardaí.

The €173,678 amount paid out to the unnamed garda was one of 11 pension lump-sums in excess of €130,000 made to retiring gardaí last year. The top 20 recipients were given an aggregate €2.5m.

The €25.9m payout to 335 gardaí brings to €114.65m the amount paid to 1,277 retiring gardaí over the past three years.

In 2012, 462 gardaí who retired received €41.94m; with 480 retiring gardaí in 2011 receiving €46.81m in pension lump sums.

The Department of Justice’s Freedom of Information unit refused to disclose the job title and location of the gardaí who retired last year “as this is personal information and its provision could lead to the identification of the individuals concerned”.

Gardaí can retire as young as 50 as long as they have accrued 30 years’ service, while members must retire compulsorily at 60.

The department yesterday confirmed that 335 gardaí of all ranks retired last year, with the majority leaving on a voluntary basis. The average pension lump sum payout for the gardaí was €77,440.

The most senior garda to retire was deputy commissioner Nacie Rice, along with assistant commissioner Gerry Philips; two chief superintendents; 16 superintendents; 13 inspectors, 91 sergeants; and 211 rank-and-file gardaí.

Pay scales for members of the force range from €25,745 to €45,793 for a garda; €46,229 to €53,119 for a sergeant; €53,404 to €59,178 for an inspector; €72,841 to €84,909 for a superintendent; and a chief superintendents enjoying a salary range of €87,259 to €104,457.

Assistant commissioners receive a salary of €144,213 while deputy commissioners net €163,365. The commissioner receives €204,386.

Members who retire on full service receive an annual pension of 50% of their final salary and a one-off gratuity of 150% of their final salary.

Niall Collins, Fianna Fáil justice spokesman, said current garda recruitment “in no way will make up for the ability and experience lost in senior ranks and amongst rank-and-file members in recent years”.

Mark Fielding, chief executive of the small- and medium-sized business representative group Isme, said the high pension lump sums awarded to gardaí “only highlights the large gap in costs there is between the private and public sectors”.

He said there is a 40% gap in cost between the average workers in the public and private sectors.