Written Answers Nos. 145-147
145. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide details of the number of Gardaí eligible to retire in 2013; the expected number of retirements; and if he will make a statement on the matter. [2067/13]
View answerMembers of An Garda Síochána may retire on a voluntary basis once they have reached 50 years of age and have accrued 30 years of service. Members must retire on compulsory age grounds when they reach the age of 60. As most gardaí take voluntary retirement ahead of their compulsory retirement age, it is not possible to predict with any certainty the number of gardaí who will leave the Force during the course of any year. The following table shows the number of voluntary retirements so far notified for 2013, although this is not a basis for forecasting the likely number of retirements:
|
- |
Comm |
D/Comm |
A/Comm |
C/Supt |
Supt |
Insp |
Sgt |
Gda |
Total |
|
Voluntary |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
0 |
13 |
14 |
27 |
|
Compulsory |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
0 |
9 |
16 |
|
TOTAL 2013 |
0 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
1 |
3 |
13 |
23 |
43 |
146. Deputy Niall Collins asked the Minister for Justice and Equality if he will provide a breakdown of the total number of overtime hours undertaken by the Gardaí in 2010, 2011 and 2012. [2068/13]
View answerI am informed by the Garda authorities that the numbers of overtime hours worked by members of An Garda Síochána in the years in question were as follows: 2010, 2,462,484 hours; 2011, 2,565,684 hours; and 2012, 1,310,954 hours. The 2011 figure includes overtime in respect of duties carried out during the State Visits of President Obama and Queen Elizabeth II which amounted in total to 765,598 hours.
147. Deputy Clare Daly asked the Minister for Justice and Equality the legislative basis for the writing off of fixed charge penalty notices; the type of fixed charge penalty notices that are permitted to be written off and by whom. [2103/13]
View answerFixed charge notices are an alternative to prosecution. They give a motorist the opportunity to acknowledge the offence, pay the fixed charge and, where the offence is a penalty point offence, incur the appropriate penalty points. If the motorist does not pay the fixed charge, he or she will in the normal course be prosecuted for the alleged offence. There can be circumstances where the fixed charge notice may be cancelled in accordance with Garda procedures drawn up in the light of legislative exemptions and prosecutorial guidelines. Cancellation occurs where it is believed that the evidence would not sustain a prosecution or that a prosecution would not be appropriate, fair or proportionate. Decisions on cancellations are governed by Garda policies and procedures, which are framed around legislative and prosecutorial guidelines issued by the DPP. Cancellation can occur in circumstances where, for example, exemptions apply in relation to emergency vehicles or the wearing of seatbelts, or where there are evidential difficulties, such as where the registration number registered by a speed camera does not correspond to the vehicle in question, or where there are emergency medical circumstances such as, for example, a sick child being driven to hospital, an imminent birth, or a medical professional rushing to a sick or elderly patient. Access to cancel a fixed charge notice through PULSE is restricted to users with the rank of inspector or higher.
