Figures show just one quarter of all gardaí are female

Female gardaí account for just over a quarter of the force, figures show.

But, apart from the top position of commissioner, females remain unrepresented in the second and third tiers of the hierarchy, and remain significantly underrepresented in the three ranks below that.

Figures show that the number of female gardaí has jumped by 50% in 10 years — from 2,180 in December 2005 to 3,332 in September 2015.